Vanilla
by Sorceress Fantasia
Summary: Cloud's only friend, Yuffie, had just died a few weeks ago. However, Yuffie can't move on and so she follows Cloud around as a spirit. And she just can't resist the chance to play a prank on Cloud by possessing his body and confessing to someone... LxC
1. Chapter 1

Title: Vanilla part 1

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: LxC and a bit of RxS

Warnings: AU, romance, sap, fluff, humour, OOC-ness

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to lay claim to Cloud, I'm kinda scared of Leon's gunblade. So well, I don't own Kingdom Hearts and its character, and neither do I own the various Final Fantasies and their characters.

Note: This fic is inspired by the Japanese manga Eerie Queerie, so I'll mostly be referring to how schools work in Japan. That means students stay in one classroom the whole day, and basically everyone in the class is taking more or less the same few subjects. And this fic's theme song is Gackt's Vanilla. /sniggers/ And thanx to Hanae Da Firefly for proof-reading this chapter!

Summary: Cloud's only friend, Yuffie, had just died a few weeks ago. However, Yuffie can't move on to the next world and so she follows Cloud around in his daily life. And she just can't resist the opportunity to play the finest prank on Cloud by possessing his body and confessing to someone… LxC

* * *

When it rains, it really pours. And it pours enough to flood a desert as big as the Sahara. To think I had initially brushed it off as a stroke of good luck, being able to see my recently dead best friend again…

* * *

Cloud thought he was hearing her voice again. He was already so used to hearing that childish voice every morning, when she would burst into his room to wake him up and drag him to school. And sometimes, she would do the mock evil laughter of hers that she had perfected from watching television before she doused Cloud with a bucket of water. While it was irritating, Cloud didn't think he would mind it so much if he woke up wet again today.

Because if he did wake up wet, it would mean she was still alive.

Because if he did wake up to her evil laughter, it would mean she had not died all those weeks ago in that stupid car accident.

Cloud sniffed as he remembered her funeral, the heart wrenching cries of her parents and friends, and then seeing her coffin lowered into the ground. When the soil was finally pushed onto the coffin, he thought he was going to die along with best friend – his only friend. However, after two months, Cloud found that it wasn't as difficult to cope as he had initially thought. It was still a little awkward to do the things he had always done with her, but Cloud knew it was only a matter of time before he would move on. He was going to live his life happy, die, and then meet up with her again in the next world. Then, he would tell her all the things she had not been able to see, hear and feel. He was going to get double the happiness for her sake.

Cloud had a feeling that Yuffie would have wanted that; she had never wanted him to be miserable. Whenever Cloud had felt anti-social and unwilling to leave the safety of his bed, or in his younger days, reluctant to leave his room after a particularly bad run-in with the local bullies, Yuffie would always stomp up to his door, fling it open, and shout at him to either get his sorry butt out or she would drag him out herself while tugging at his blankets.

"Cloud Strife! You are either going to get up right now or I'm going to scream in your ear until your head splits!"

Yeah, that was how she would wake him up. Even the tone and the pitch were the same. It sounded so much like Yuffie's voice… But Cloud knew he had to be dreaming again. She was dead. She wasn't going to come back. How many times had he dreamt of his dead friend already?

That was when the dream started to scream.

Cloud was so shocked he practically jumped with a shout of his own, promptly falling out of his bed in a messy tumble, dragging his blanket with him to the ground. He shouted again when his head made contact with the ground, and with a lot of groaning, he slowly picked himself up, leaning against his bed.

"Warned you, didn't I?"

"What the…?" the blond groaned, raising a hand to his head where he could feel the throbbing pain gathering. He had to blink a couple of times before his vision focused, and then he lifted his head, ready to give his mother a death glare. But any further words Cloud might have spoken died on his lips and saw the translucent form of his recently dead best friend hovering above the ground in his room. She was still donning the sleeveless blue top with white prints and the khaki shorts she had worn during the accident, the outfit completed with her favourite hooded jacket and blue bandana, but they all were devoid of the blood that had once soaked them. Yuffie looked… clean, and if she wasn't floating and translucent, Cloud would have thought she had just barged into his room like she normally did. His jaw fell, and suddenly, that bump on his head didn't feel so excruciating anymore. "…Yuffie?"

Her smug posture immediately abandoned her, and she was left looking at him, bewildered. Almost trembling, she covered her mouth with a stiff hand. But just as suddenly as she had quieted down, this time, /her/ jaws fell open.

"You can see me? Cloud?" she exclaimed in joy, tears already welling up in her eyes. When Cloud nodded dumbly, she shrieked and leapt forward with her arms wide open, prepared for a massive hug. It had been so long since their last meeting, and Yuffie felt like she had to squeeze the life out of her best friend to compensate for all the time lost.

"CLOUD!!"

And she promptly passed through his body and overshot into the closet, her legs still hanging outside. Silence. Wincing, she floated back out, brushing imaginary dust off her lucent clothes as she did so. "Man, if I was still alive, that closet would have killed me!" she grumbled, glaring at the innocent piece of furniture as though everything was its fault.

"Yuffie, if you were still alive, you wouldn't have passed through me to hit the closet anyway."

"Oh yeah…" she laughed sheepishly, scratching her head.

That action suddenly hit Cloud as being abnormal, and he cocked his head. "Wait a minute, this isn't possible. Yuffie's dead. She can't be in my room right now," he muttered to himself, a bit of confusion tingeing his voice. Climbing to his feet, he clambered back into bed and dove back under the blankets. "I must be dreaming. A very realistic dream, but still a dream."

Yuffie slapped her forehead in frustration. "For god's sake! You just hit your head, and you still think this is a dream?"

"You're dead. You're not supposed to be here waking me up."

"Well, sorry to burst your little bubble, but I am here. And I can't seem to move on to wherever it is that I should be headed. So I'm pretty much stuck here."

Cloud threw his covers off. "But why? Why can't you move on?"

Tears quickly began to fill Yuffie's brown doe eyes, and her lips wobbled dangerously. "You don't want me around? Cloud doesn't want his best friend around anymore?"

Cloud would have squeaked if it wasn't so unmanly. A crying Yuffie was one of the worst things to ever see or experience; he had a whole album of traumatizing photographs to prove that. She had the tendency to ask him to play dress up or pretend to be her subordinate when she was about to cry. And now that Cloud thought back about it, Yuffie had never really cried. Tears were almost falling, but they never really fell. It was like her eyes were bathroom taps…

"No Yuffie, I'm happy to see you! Really! I'm just wondering… you know, why," he quickly clarified.

As he expected, her tears immediately subsided, and she sighed. "You know, one of my last thoughts before I died was about you."

"About me?"

"Even when I was still alive, you never went out much. You don't have any friends apart from me, and now that I'm dead, I don't want to leave you entirely friend-less. It's unhealthy, Cloud, to keep to yourself so much. So," – she smirked sagely, and Cloud had to suppress his shivers – "I've decided to help you make friends before I go!"

Suddenly, Cloud thought that maybe he hadn't missed Yuffie all that much after all.

* * *

If Cloud had missed Yuffie yesterday, he was definitely not missing her right now. For the past two months, he had all but forgotten all of the girl's character flaws. It was as though her death had muted out her nosiness, her loudness, her mischievousness and her occasional devious streak. Instead, all he could remember of the girl was the times she had forced him out of his cocoon, brought him out onto the streets and smiled at him as she commented on how good it was to feel the sun on their skins and the wind in their faces. He also remembered how she had demanded they become friends the day after he and his mum had just moved into the neighbourhood, and then quickly fought off the bullies who were teasing Cloud for looking too feminine for their comfort. Those were the good memories.

Now though, Cloud was suppressing the urge to groan as he buried his head in his hands, leaning heavily against his desk in the classroom. If one could not see the girl floating beside him and chatting a mile an hour, they would think that the blond was having a massive headache.

"Now Cloud, since you obviously don't know how to take care of yourself, we'd have to make sure your new friend will do it for you. So the person will have to be responsible, forceful if need be – god knows how many times I've had to force feed you cause you don't ever eat enough– and it's best if the person has lots of other friends, so you can make even more friends! Someone from your class would be really good, don't you think? I mean, sure, we were best friends, but me being in the next class made it kinda difficult to help you sometimes. Okay, that settles it! Your new friend will be responsible, forceful at times, popular, and from your class! Hey Cloud, do you want a guy or a gal for your new friend? You can at least choose their gender, you know? Cloud, c'mon talk to me!" Yuffie pouted at her friend's lack of response, wanting nothing more than poke at his face and pull her favourite spike of hair as his punishment. She was so concerned about his well-being, and he was ignoring her.

Floating upside down now, Yuffie was determined to get a rise out of her best friend. Funny faces would do the trick, she decided, and she was about to carry out her plans when a new voice interrupted her. Blinking, Yuffie righted her position and looked up. It was Aeris, Cloud's classmate.

"Cloud? Are you alright? You don't look too good…"

"What?" Cloud had to blink hard to make sure his eyes were fine. No one had ever really bothered with him in class before, and least of all Aeris Gainsborough, the sweetest girl in school who was part of the popular gang. But she really did seem concerned, from the way her brows were knitted slightly and the uncertain stance her body had taken. Cloud supposed he must be looking really bad for her to notice him, but it really wasn't too surprising: it was one of the side effects of hanging around Yuffie too much. He held back the urge to scrunch his face at that thought, and instead, he replied, "Erm, I'm fine. I'm just…"

"Nervous!" Yuffie whispered harshly, even though no one but Cloud could hear her.

"Nervous!" Cloud echoed, then it dawned on him what he had just said and he swatted at the side of his face irritably. To others, he looked like he was just swatting a fly. "No, I mean, I was just thinking about something."

Aeris was still frowning. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks."

While Cloud was busy trying to convince Aeris, Yuffie's eyes had traveled behind the sweet girl and homed in on a guy who was staring discreetly but intensely in their direction. He was frowning, his brows furrowed together, but if one did not know him well enough, one would probably just brush it off as one of Squall Leonhart's –he insisted on being called Leon though- moods. After all, the man was known to be rather broody on his bad days, and he never laughed. He smiled sometimes, smirked and grinned most of the time, but he never laughed. Yuffie, however, had learned to read the man's body language pretty well from their brief friendship in the kendo club.

He was worried, but as always, pretending not to be. After all, it would really wreck his ice prince image in the eyes of his fangirls and boys, Yuffie snorted. Leon was easily one of the most popular guys in their school, and despite everyone knowing that he batted only for the other team, he had enough fanboys and girls to last a lifetime. In fact, if his fans were to queue up in a single file, the queue would probably extend from the school gates all the way to the next neighbourhood and then some. Ah, the drawbacks of being exceedingly attractive. Apart from that, Leon was also one of the top students in school with the results to prove it, and his family was pretty well-to-do as well, even though they were not particularly rich. All that probably just contributed to an even greater number of fans, something Leon definitely did not want, if his frequent glares and standoffish attitude to his fans were anything to go by.

He was like the complete opposite of Cloud, who was a loner and had no friends other than Yuffie herself.

Suddenly, a light bulb lit up in Yuffie's head, and a grin that could rival that of the Cheshire cat's blossomed on her face.

It was at that moment that Cloud had finally managed to convince Aeris that he was fine and slumped right back into his seat, turning around to see what his dead best friend had been up to in the last few minutes. Yuffie had the most amazing library of wacky ideas in her brain, and Cloud always thought that if he didn't check on her every once in a while, she'd do the most outrageous thing like leap onto a table and do the tango alone during lunch period. She had almost done that once, actually, and would have succeeded if he hadn't forced her back onto the ground.

However, this time he was too late. The second he turned around, he felt rather than saw Yuffie's out-of-focused face, and then there was a strange sensation tingling in his entire body. Suddenly, he found himself shoved to the back of his mind and someone else taking control of his physical body. He growled low in his throat.

'Yuffie! Get out! What do you think you're doing? This is my body!' he hissed, trying to push her out. But it was no good. Cloud had never won any of their wrestling matches when she was alive, so what made him think he would win after her death, even if the only reason why she won was because she played dirty? And she was a spirit now, for god's sake! How did a human get rid of an intangible spirit who had suddenly decided to take over his body? Nonetheless, he tried again. She didn't budge an inch.

'I'm going to give you the best present I can ever give you. You just wait and see,' Yuffie replied distractedly.

'I don't want it, whatever it is! Just give me back my body!'

She waved him off as though he wasn't even there, or that he was just a noisy distraction, and that agitated Cloud even more. Knowing how Yuffie's mind worked, this was probably the best opportunity to play the ultimate prank on him, possessing his body and then making him do something completely ridiculous. A few ideas came to his mind, and he blanched. Was Yuffie going to make him cross-dress and then participate in the local drag queen competition? Or was she going to make him imitate a kitten, purr and play with an imaginary ball of yarn, in front of the entire school? He shuddered at those thoughts, and was about to double his efforts to push her out when he felt his body moving.

It was a flex of his fingers at first, as though Yuffie was trying to get used to the body, and then it was a grin of satisfaction. He panicked, but could do nothing when Yuffie walked right up to Leon's table. Cloud had good reason to fear for his life when he felt Yuffie's smugness that was practically radiating in waves within their shared body; she was going to do something /he/ was going to regret for this life and beyond.

She did not disappoint him.

"Leon?" she asked in a voice that was laced with both nervousness and sweetness. It only registered a second later in Cloud's mind that it was his own voice, and he blanched. What in the world was Yuffie up to? Loners slash outcasts like him never walked up to a popular person like Leon and hope for a normal conversation. Leon probably didn't even know he existed, let alone know his name! And his voice! What had she done to his voice!? Cloud Strife did not just sound like a love-struck teenage girl!

To his surprise, Leon did not wave him off without even a sideway glance. Instead, he returned Cloud's gaze, and there was not even a hint of disapproval in those grey eyes. His eyes were soft, calm and accepting. Nervous even, although there was really no reason for Leon to be so. Perhaps it was because Cloud had never approached any of his classmates out of his own free will before.

Including now.

Cloud tried to calm himself down. Maybe Yuffie was just helping him make a new friend, like she had said earlier in the morning. And Leon /did/ fit her bill of what a good friend for him consisted of: responsible, strong, and had lots of friends. So maybe it wouldn't be too bad. Making a new friend wouldn't be too bad. And so Cloud calmed himself down, mentally repeating 'Don't panic!' like it was a holy mantra.

And then Yuffie dropped the bomb.

"Actually…"

Bashful. Fidget, fidget.

"Actually I…"

Less bashfulness, more determination. A shout.

"Actually I've liked you since last year! Will you please be my boyfriend?"

Leon's eyes widened considerably, and his group of friends had a few slackened jaws, but it was nothing compared to Cloud's mental scream. It was a loud and piercing cry, mixed with large amounts of wailing and sobbing. Still, even that was drowned out by the uproar in the class. The other students were either laughing loudly or cheering and whistling, or reeling from shock. Some had even dropped their books and files, piles of paper fanning out on the floor. A few boys looked scandalized even, but there were also a few girls who swooned and sighed contentedly.

Cloud wanted to kill Yuffie, and then commit suicide. He just needed to figure out how to kill someone who was already dead. But before he could act on those plans, the classroom's door was thrown open and the teacher marched in, a straw (this guy was such an avid smoker he felt awkward without biting on something) hanging from his mouth.

The teacher slammed his books onto the table and gave the class a quick once-over. A silent wake followed, and everyone hastily scrambled back to their seats like busy rabbits trying to escape the wolf's hunger. Mr. Highwind was starting to look like a savior in Cloud's eyes, and he had never been so thankful for the teacher's appearance.

Still, throughout the entire lesson, he couldn't help but feel Leon's heated gaze on him.

* * *

Lunch period came all too soon, but Cloud was prepared for it. Yuffie had long left his body, choosing instead to lounge behind every teacher's back and making funny faces at them and occasionally pretend to be the one lecturing instead, so he had complete control of his body. And once the bell rang and signaled the start of lunch, Cloud immediately zoomed out of class, ignoring everyone's cries (they were probably waiting for the rest of the drama to unfold) and Leon's repeated calls for him to wait for him. He did not stop until he had gotten to his secret safe heaven, which was a little corner behind the school warehouse and a large tree. It was shielded from everyone else, so it allowed Cloud to do just about anything he wanted without being noticed. Knowing that he was rather safe for now, he slumped onto the ground with a deep sigh.

"Cloud? Why did you run away so friggin fast? I had a hard time catching up, you know that?" Yuffie's voice drifted over before her translucent form slowly floated down to ground level.

He glared at her, as though he was willing for her to spontaneously combust.

"What the hell were you thinking!? What sort of stupid prank was that!? Now everyone's going to think I've got a crush on Leon since forever! I don't even like boys that way! Least of all the most popular boy in school who has everyone at his beck and call! Now he's gonna kill me. I know he will. And that is if his fangirls and boys don't get to me first!"

Yuffie unplugged her fingers from her ears, the bubbly grin never leaving her face.

"Well, this is your best chance to get a friend. This is high school, you know? Once you do something cool and big in school, everyone will notice you and try to befriend you! Besides, Leon's a nice guy. With him around, I'll feel safer leaving you alone. And are you sure you don't like other boys? In all the years I've known you, I've never seen you look at a girl that way, but I have seen you looking at boys before… Remember Sephiroth?" She leered knowingly at him, not even bothering to hide her smug smirk.

Cloud's scowl deepened at the mention of the star athlete in their junior high. Sephiroth was very much like Leon, popular and strong. The boy had hordes of fans of both sexes cheering him on whenever he had a match, or even when he was just training. It was amazing.

"That was different, okay? I was just envious of Sephiroth's muscles."

It was a plausible reason, really. Cloud had been born prematurely with a heart problem, and he had barely survived the ordeal. He was still suffering from his too early birth in fact, having a body that was too slim, too small and too weak. When all the other boys of his age were playing soccer, his mother was begging him to never engage in such rough sports because she was worried his body couldn't keep up with the rest. His doctor had advised against him doing anything too strenuous as well, so his mother's worries were not unfounded. As a result, Cloud became a bully magnet and it was only in recent years that the bully issues finally stopped, after he had gotten just enough strength to show them he wasn't going to go down without bringing them down with him.

But this was Yuffie Cloud was talking to, and Yuffie just waved the plausible reason off.

"Excuses, excuses…"

"Yuffie, remember Zack? The guy I rejected in junior high because I don't like guys that way?"

She shrugged.

"He just wasn't your type. I mean, yeah, Zack was really cheery and optimistic, but I do all that enough for you. Who you need is someone who is," –she dipped her voice, lips curling into a dangerous smirk- "cool, suave, and handsome." She gave her bangs a careless flip when she finished, trying to look like what she had just described.

Cloud stared at her in disbelief.

"I've never even looked at anybody that way, if you haven't noticed."

"Well then, you can start now. And you can start with big eye-candy Leon."

"Yuffie!"

"Hey, what's wrong with that? Leon is really handsome, don't you think? That's how he got all his fans anyway," – she shrugged offhandedly before fixing him with a pointed look- "You will become friends with him, at the very least. I'll make sure of that."

Cloud's eyes widened again. "No!"

Yuffie was startled at the shout, jumping a little. Then, her lips immediately began to wobble dangerously again, and tears started to water in her eyes. "Cloud doesn't like Yuffie anymore? Cloud doesn't like his best friend anymore?" Those tears were threatening to fall at any moment now…

"Okay! Fine, Yuffie! Just don't cry, for god's sake."

Her tears were gone right away, and a bright smile quickly took its place. Suddenly, Yuffie was looking like the perfect little angel again, and Cloud could almost see the halo above her head and white wings on her back. Not to mention the angelic beams shooting out from behind her.

Cloud felt like such an idiot.

* * *

Lessons had started by the time Cloud got back to his classroom, which was just the way he wanted it to be. That way, Leon would not have a chance to talk to him, and he could just escape again later when school ended. Hopefully, he would not get a detention for being late for class.

Gingerly, he managed a little knock on the door before opening it, muttering a soft apology as he did so.

The teacher, Ms. Trepe, just gestured for him to take his seat quietly. Cloud knew there was one reason why he liked her. Not one to look at a gift horse in the mouth, he quickly settled back down in his seat by the window. He sat alone, next to a seat that was made empty when the boy suddenly transferred to another school. It got lonely sometimes, but overall it was good to be able to have two desks all to himself. Humming a soft tune, he dug into his bag for his literature textbook. Yuffie hovered behind him, too tired to tease the teacher this time.

Suddenly, Leon shoved the book that was in front on him to his friend seated next to him and stood up abruptly. All eyes shot over to him.

Ms. Trepe gazed at him evenly, adjusting her glasses and putting her book down. "May I have the pleasure of knowing what you're up to, Mr. Leonhart?"

He returned the steady gaze. "I forgot to bring my textbook."

"What about the book you just pushed over to Riku's desk?"

"That's his. I just borrowed it."

"And what about the two books that Riku currently has?"

Leon gave Riku a look before the latter smirked and held up his hands like he was surrendering. "Ah, forgive me, Ms. Trepe, but one of these books is Tidus'. Right Tidus?"

"That's right, Ms. Trepe! I just lent it to Riku earlier, but now I want it back," Tidus, a blond boy, replied smoothly.

Cloud did not miss the blond stuffing his textbook into his bag earlier, but it seemed like everyone was buying his story. Either that, or they just couldn't be bothered. Ms. Trepe was incredibly patient…

She rolled her eyes. "Well then, Leon, share a textbook with Riku for today's lesson. Just remember to bring your own copy for the next lesson."

Leon did not miss a beat when he replied, "Riku hates sharing books."

"Damn straight!"

A few girls, including Aeris, were giggling by this point.

"Language, Riku," Ms. Trepe warned, but her eyes held a twinkle of amusement. She had always had a soft spot for the three boys, who seemed to click with her better than any other students.

"I'll just share Cloud's book."

Cloud choked. He didn't even have time to protest or come up with an excuse, because Leon was already walking up to his table and pulling out the chair. A sudden wave of whispers and barely veiled giggles washed over the class, but it was quickly stomped out when Ms. Trepe cleared her throat. That did not manage to stop Yuffie from cheering like a crazed fan at her favourite soccer match, however. Willing for his friend to shut the hell up, Cloud cautiously pushed his textbook to the middle of the tables, almost like something, or someone, was going to bite his hand off if he reached out too much. When nothing happened, he quickly retracted his hand and put it on his lap, holding onto his pen like a lifeline. It was fortunate that the poor pen was an inanimate object, or it would have protested at the harsh treatment. That is, if it could talk. Cloud was suffocating it, the way he held it so tightly in his grasp, his knuckles rapidly turning white.

Ms. Trepe was going on and on about literature again, and bit by bit, Cloud found himself able to concentrate again. After all, Leon wasn't doing anything; he did seem content to only share the textbook. Slowly, he brought his hand onto the table and started to take down some notes like he had been doing before Leon's sudden stunt. He never noticed the other boy's eyes following his hand, riveted on his every move.

Behind them, Yuffie was trying to keep her snickers down. Cloud was always so easily lulled into a false sense of security, she sighed. But then again, that was what made him so irresistibly adorable.

Without warning, Leon's hand shot out with the accuracy of a snake and clamped down on Cloud's, wrapping his own around the soft, warm hand below. Cloud nearly squeaked, and he would have jumped out of his chair in surprise if he hadn't forced himself to calm down. He really didn't need to get into trouble in class, really. Frozen, the blond boy peered at their clasped hands as though he was making sure he hadn't imagined anything, and then glanced to his right warily. Leon was looking at him with a soft gaze, much softer than Cloud had ever seen the brunet give others.

When Leon noticed Cloud's eyes on him, his grip tightened and he whispered, "I was looking for you the entire lunch period."

Cloud swallowed uneasily.

"Am I that scary that you have to run away from me? That you couldn't just stay and listen to what I have to say?"

Cloud was sweating profusely by now, hoping against hope that there would be enough left of him to see his mother again.

"I don't even understand why it took you so long to confess your feelings. It wasn't like you had to be worried if I was straight."

Cloud wasn't listening anymore. He was too busy imagining how to kill Yuffie and saying goodbye to his mother. That was why he never noticed how Leon was squeezing his hands almost encouragingly.

He did notice, however, when Ms. Trepe's eyes fell unto him. She pushed her glasses higher, giving him and Leon both a pointed look. "Cloud, answer the question I just asked."

There was a question? If there had really been one, Cloud hadn't been listening. Even so, he stood up from his seat, grabbing onto his book and hoping that it would hide his face. He desperately tried to recall what the teacher had been going on about a minute ago, but it was no good. He just wasn't paying attention to her lecture then.

"Erm, I think… Err…"

"Lady Macbeth started to sleepwalk and wash her hands as she did so because she was feeling guilty over Duncan's death."

Ms. Trepe gave Leon, who had answered the question in Cloud's stead, a meaningful look before finally nodding. She ignored the brunet's intense glare, turning back to the still-standing Cloud. "I would appreciate it if you listened in class instead of letting your mind wander off. You may sit down now."

Cloud nodded sheepishly and quickly slunk back down, hoping to make himself look as inconspicuous as possible. It was made quite impossible, however, when the teacher continued, "And Leon, it would be good if you would just stop bothering Cloud."

Leon shrugged. "I'm not bothering him. I'm just answering his question."

She raised an inquisitive eyebrow, crossing her arms and sighing. Shaking her head, she gestured for Leon to say his piece quickly so she could carry on with the lesson.

And suddenly, everyone turned in their seats with baited breaths, wondering what Leon was going to say. This was hardly the first time someone had confessed their feelings to Leon, but the brunet had shot down every single one of his hopeful admirers, regardless of how pretty, intelligent or popular the person was. It was like Leon wasn't interested in having a relationship at all, or that he already had someone outside of school. It was one of the most circulated rumours of Radiant High, that Leon had a secret boyfriend who was perfect in every way, or that said boyfriend was a bartender at some sleazy nightclub. But as much as everyone had heard of all these rumours and joined in the speculation, no one could ever be sure. No one had ever seen Leon with anyone, apart from his friends, outside of school.

Riku, Tidus and Aeris, however, were all smiling knowingly. In fact, Riku's smile had a tinge of smugness to it and Tidus looked like he was about to crack up, if given the slightest chance. Cloud started to feel himself wilt rapidly under all the excess attention, almost like a deer caught in headlights, or a bunny surrounded by a pack of wolves with their eyes gleaming predatorily. He resisted the urge to whimper, and quickly wrapped his arms around himself.

Leon just sighed, raking a hand carelessly through his shaggy, brown hair. Yuffie recognized that gesture; the boy always did that whenever he was nervous, something he had done a couple of times before a major kendo match. She grinned, knowing what was to come now. That knowledge did not ease her anticipation, however, and she hovered behind Cloud anxiously yet expectantly.

Everyone's jaws slackened when Leon reached out and carefully pried Cloud's hands off himself, and even more surprised when Cloud let him. Any jaws that had remained shut earlier fell completely when Leon gently took Cloud's hand in his own, handling the blond's hand like it was made of spun glass. Some started to fall off their chairs when Leon started to slowly caress the pale hand, seemingly reveling in the small action.

The blond could only blink in disbelief, a shroud of surrealism overwhelming his mind as he felt his hand being pampered by the one person he'd never thought possible. In his mind, popular people like Leon would never stoop so low as to be so… nice to an outcast like him.

"Cloud, I just want you to know that…" –Leon took a deep breathe before lifting his head to gaze intensely into Cloud's eyes, a faint blush apparent on his pale face- "that I like you too. And… And I would like it very much if I could be your boyfriend."

Silence.

More silence.

Then, somewhere, a girl squealed.

It was like her squeal broke the dam, and suddenly, all the girls were either squealing or wailing in tears. The boys started to cheer and hoot (though a good number were crying as well), but none were as loud or jubilant as Riku and Tidus. Aeris was giggling insanely as she quickly snapped a few pictures with her cell phone. At the back of the class, Yuffie was jumping around for joy, yelling and screaming about just how happy she was. Ms. Trepe's eyes widened for a moment before she finally gave into the urge and smiled resignedly, shaking her head as she muttered under her breath, "Finally."

Cloud thought he was caught up in a nightmare. But when the scene before him did not fade away with a pinch, the whole thing started to sink into his mind and his heart began to pound.

Leon had just confessed that he returned his 'feelings'.

Leon liked him.

Leon _liked_ him.

Leon liked **him**.

And now everybody knew.

Impossible.

It couldn't be.

It just wasn't possible.

He had to fix the whole thing immediately.

He had to tell Leon the truth, that he wasn't being himself earlier.

Yuffie, however, had other ideas. Before Cloud could say a thing, she slipped inside his body again and took control forcefully. Cloud screamed; she ignored him. Instead, she started to act all shocked, fluttering Cloud's long lashes and those mesmerizing bright blue eyes. That shock soon faded into coyness, all made perfect by the faint blush and slowly widening smile on her face. Or rather, Cloud's face. And then she was whispering with his voice, all the while cackling inwardly about how she should be nominated for an Oscar.

"I'd love to have you as my boyfriend."

The transformation taking place on Leon's face was amazing, and it was something Cloud would never forget for as long as he lived. It was as though those few simple words were a caressing and soothing breeze, carrying away the anxiety, the apprehension and the fear like leaves in the wind. A smile blossomed on his face, disbelief and happiness filling his eyes, and he squeezed Cloud's hands again. Gently, he pulled Cloud into a soft embrace, allowing the blond to rest his head in the crook of his neck. The smile never leaving his face, Leon buried himself in Cloud's blond tresses, taking a deep breathe as though assuring himself that everything was real. His hands ran down in soothing caresses down his new boyfriend's back. Yuffie, still in Cloud's body, pretended to blush and duck her head, snuggling deeper into Leon's embrace and hugging him in return.

The class cheered louder, with Riku and Tidus laughing at them, shouting that they should just get married right away. Or at least get a room.

Cloud felt like he wanted to cry.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Leon remained in the seat beside Cloud, insisting that he had forgotten to bring all his textbooks and wanted to share Cloud's. Everyone just kept giving the blond envious looks, wondering how in the world the little loner had managed to capture the heart of Squall Leonhart. Some others gave him the evil eye, but they were quickly scared off when Leon noticed them glowering at his new boyfriend and immediately returning their glares ten-fold. It was as though there was a murderous aura surrounding Leon, and they could just feel it in their bones. They shuddered.

There were also some who were rather neutral to the new development, like the teachers. Apart from Ms. Trepe who had given them a fond look before leaving the class, the rest of the teachers couldn't seem to care less about the new couple as long as they continued to pay attention to their lessons. The more playful ones had teased them gently, especially about Leon finally settling down and Cloud taking the initiative to open up for once.

Then there were also the ones who practically swooned and sighed over the latest development, happy that the stud of Radiant High had hooked up with a cute little guy like Cloud. It only meant more eye-candy for them, since it would effectively bring the blond into the limelight. Some girls just couldn't believe how they had completely overlooked such a cutie.

To Cloud, everything just felt like a huge mess. It wasn't like he didn't want to fix it, but every time he turned to Leon, the brunet would give him a disarmingly soft smile, and Cloud would find himself unable to say anything that might hurt him. And on the one occasion when he managed to force himself to say something, Yuffie had immediately taken over and made him say, "Is this really okay?" She then gestured to the two of them, like she was unsure of if Leon really wanted the relationship. Cloud paused in strangling and kicking Yuffie out of his body (not that he actually got to her because she ducked faster than he could react) when Leon pressed a gentle kiss to the back of his hand, and he froze up. When the other released his hand, he quickly snatched it back and cradled his arm embarrassedly, ignoring Leon's amusement.

Cloud stole another sideway glance at the brunet, wondering what he should do to resolve the whole problem. Leon was definitely not his boyfriend; he was Yuffie's 'boyfriend', since she was the one who had confessed. Vaguely, he wondered if the girl had a crush on Leon, and was just using his body to fulfill a final wish before she moved on. Then his eyes glanced over at the spirit who was attempting to tap-dance on the teacher's desk, and he shook his head. It was impossible. Leon wasn't her type, and she didn't give off the 'I love you' vibes either.

That was when the bell rang, signaling the end of the day. The blond blinked; he had been so out of it and absorbed in his problems that he hadn't even noticed it was so late already. But when he noticed his classmates shoving their stuff into their bags and running off, he shrugged his inattentiveness off and started to pack up as well. Yuffie floated back to his side.

"Cloud?"

He froze. Looks like hoping to get out of school before Leon could stop him was out of the question now…

"…Yes?"

Leon was running a hand through his hair again. "I just… Do you want to stay together for a while before you head home?"

"I… I erm…" Cloud was positive he had a blush all the way from the tip of his spike of hair to the end of his toes. Yuffie wasn't helping with her insane giggles and words of encouragement to take up his new boyfriend's offer.

Luckily, Riku decided to take a little mercy on him. Or maybe it was because Cloud looked red enough to combust, and he didn't want to get burned. Whatever his reason, Cloud was thankful when the silver-haired boy strutted over to them and hooked a casual arm around Leon's neck.

"I think you've gotten too besotted with Cloud to remember, but we have kendo practice in ten minutes. And we sort of need the ten minutes to actually get our butts over there before the coach attempts to beat us up with that sword of his," –he blew a raspberry to Cloud, to which the blond responded with a stiff smile- "Sorry to disturb you lovebirds, Cloud, but we're needed elsewhere."

Leon gave him a harsh nudge. "Don't flirt with Cloud."

Tidus, who had just finished packing his bag and walked over, snickered. "Getting jealous, aren't we, Leon? And to think it's only your first day together!" he said with a melodramatic voice, sighing dreamily at the end. Riku cracked up. Tidus then turned to Cloud and added, "You should be careful, man! I don't know what was going through your mind when you accepted Leon as your boyfriend, but since you're stuck with him, you'd better take care!" He avoided Leon's annoyed swipe and quickly ducked behind Aeris a few tables down. "Leon's got this insanely protective streak in him, and he's prone to jealousy! But he'll love you to death!"

Cloud was still laughing nervously as he watched Tidus yelp and quickly run out of the classroom. Riku was almost in stitches when he dashed out as well, but not before giving Leon one last reminder about their kendo practice. A few girls were giggling at the commotion, and one even asked Leon to "play nice" before leaving. Aeris waved them goodbye and left, all the while hiding a grin under her hand.

The commotion died off sooner than Cloud would have liked, and then it was just him and Leon left in the classroom.

"You still have practice," he noted nervously.

"You… want to watch us practice? I can get the coach to let me off early… then we can go somewhere together."

Yuffie was howling with laughter, clutching at her stomach. She'd never imagined the day that Leon would look so unsure of himself, not to mention so jittery. Too bad she couldn't handle a camera, or she would have run the batteries in her digital camera flat. Edging closer to her friend, she whispered into his ear, "Hey Cloud, just take him up on his offer! I can tell Leon's gonna love you to bits!"

It was as though her voice was a wake-up call, and Cloud suddenly got an idea. Averting Leon's gaze, he replied, "Kendo reminds me of Yuffie. I don't think it'd be a good idea to go, you know, to a kendo practice now…"

Yuffie pouted. Trust Cloud to use her as an excuse. But she had to admit, it was a pretty good excuse to hold Leon off for the moment.

Cloud was still looking at the ground after he had finished, hoping against hope that it would work. Almost everyone in school knew him as the shy, blond kid who tagged behind the ever enthusiastic Yuffie. Everyone knew they were best friends. And those who had turned up for her funeral knew he had been completely devastated by her sudden death. Of course, nobody knew the girl was currently haunting his every move…

Just when he was mentally calculating the odds of Leon letting him go, he was suddenly pulled into a warm embrace, his head pressed against another's chest.

"Le- Leon!?" he squeaked, blushing heavily.

Leon just tightened his embrace, resting his head in Cloud's blond hair. "I'm sorry, Cloud, for bringing this up."

The blond blinked, his resistance seeping away like water in a net. It had been so long since someone had hugged him like this, like they were truly concerned about him. Not since Yuffie's death. His own mother was too busy with her job to really stop for a moment to hug him, and tell him that things would be fine, that things would turn out fine in the end.

It was only when Yuffie whistled that he realized what he had been doing, and he immediately sprung away.

"Sor… sorry, I just…"

"It's alright. I guess we'll just have to hang out another day. Tomorrow, perhaps?"

Cloud wanted to tell him no, but Yuffie's warning look changed his mind. She would possess him if he refused anyway.

"Yeah, perhaps."

Leon nodded.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow. Bye Cloud."

"Bye."

When he was sure Leon was out of hearing range, he spun on his toes to glare at his dead best friend. It only irked him even more when she blinked and whistled innocently.

"This is all your fault."

* * *

By nightfall, Cloud had gotten a massive headache from hearing Yuffie's 'well thought-out' argument to justify her actions. Even after pulling the ultimate prank on him, she didn't seem a bit remorseful. In fact, she was downright gleeful about it, claiming that it would do him some good. Cloud seriously couldn't see how, because all the situation looked like to him was a perfect recipe for disaster.

It was a big dilemma too: tell Leon the truth and lose a potential friend and hurt Leon's feelings, or continue with the farce and worry for his chastity.

Just as Cloud would always remember the amazing transforming in Leon's facial expression that afternoon, he would also never forget the dismay and disappointment on Zack's face those years back.

Zack had been a source of emotional support just as Yuffie had been, in those dark days after his father had passed away in a work-related accident. He had always been the quiet, withdrawn kid in school, and his father's sudden death only made it worse. He didn't talk to anyone for days. Yuffie was too absorbed in her own misery, being a surrogated daughter of sorts to Cloud's family, to talk the blond out of his depression. That was when Zack had given him a nudge in his shoulder and asked him if he wanted to hang around, one fine day when Cloud had been sitting alone in an isolated stairway in school during lunch.

Cloud never understood why he agreed. It could have been Zack's smile, or that twinkle in his eyes. Or it could be because Cloud had needed someone at that moment to let him know they cared. No matter what, the blond never regretted his decision. And Zack had never disappointed him as a friend. He cheered him up because he wanted to, he pushed him to work harder on his physique because it was better for Cloud, and he always had time for him.

Zack was the guy who never got depressed.

But he eventually did, when Cloud rejected his feelings after a sudden and unexpected confession. His expression was one Cloud would never forget. Disappointment, disbelief, agony, pain… Something had broken in those violet eyes that day, and neither of them ever managed to fix it. Drifting apart seemed like the only conceivable consequence.

Cloud didn't want to hurt Leon the way he had hurt Zack.

Yuffie sighed, shaking her head and crossing her arms. A contemplative Cloud was a worrywart Cloud. In her opinion, the blond was just thinking too much. And he was getting depressed again, too absorbed in his mind and those dark ideas of his.

"Hello, earth to Cloud!"

She wasn't surprised when he rolled his eyes.

"Well, glad you're back. I'd thought for a moment that you'd traveled all the way to Pluto and gotten lost there."

"If I do, it's all your fault. If you hadn't pulled that prank with Leon, I wouldn't be thinking so much."

Yuffie stuck out her tongue at him.

"I just don't understand what your problem is. C'mon! You have Leon worshipping the very ground you walk on right now! You know, Leon? The guy who everyone in school would kill just to have a piece of? The guy with stellar grades, great family background, great friends, great personality like a rock, and handsome to boot! What more can you want? I mean, Cloud, would you just look at his body! When I was still in kendo club, I used to have to fend off all these fangirls drooling over him. Thank goodness we had a janitor to wipe up all the drool."

Cloud gave her a look.

"Yuffie, do you have a crush on Leon?"

She returned that look.

"In case you haven't noticed, Leon is gay. Not happy happy gay gay type of gay, but gay as in bats for the other team type of gay."

"Do you have a crush on Leon?"

"Name me one girl who hasn't had a crush on Leon in any point of her school life," she replied dryly. "But no worries Cloud! I'm not gonna steal him from you! And I won't allow any girls or boys to steal him from you either!"

"Yuffie!" Cloud growled. "I don't like boys that way, alright? I have nothing against homosexuals, but I am not one of them! Get that into your head!"

She sighed again, this time dramatically, and that was when Cloud knew she still wasn't listening.

"If you really don't like Leon that much or if you're not ready to be too intimate with him, then you gotta be assertive! You have to tell him what you don't want him to do to you yet! But really, I think it's best that you don't restrict him because you see, people tend to be more creative if they don't have restrictions. Can you imagine making out in the janitor's closet during lunch break? Or the school rooftop! Or even the teacher's desk after school! Oh, all the kinky possibilities! And you absolutely have to tell him that you're ticklish on your stomach and earlobes! Just remember to use condoms, alright?"

"Yuffie!"

The girl laughed rowdily at the intense blush that popped up immediately, clutching her stomach as she spun around the room in amusement.

"Gods! I so want to take a photo of you right now and send it to Leon! Who knows? Your blush might turn him on!"

"My god! I'm not gonna talk to you anymore!" Cloud huffed, fighting to keep his blush down but failing miserably. Pulling the blanket over him, he covered his ears and tried to go to sleep. Yuffie's laughter died down a little, made even softer by the insulation of his blanket. Perhaps it was the massive headache, or it was simply because dealing with Yuffie sometimes took a lot of energy, Cloud fell asleep in a couple of minutes, snoring lightly.

Yuffie was still clutching at her sides, snickering softly in the corner of the room. She would at least give Cloud the chance to recuperate so he could face Leon tomorrow. Tomorrow was going to be fun, if what she guessed of Leon was all accurate. Protective to a fault, that man was. Not to mention romantic in his own sweet way, even if he had seldom shown that side of his. But she had a feeling it was going to surface a lot more now that he and Cloud were a couple. And god knew how long Leon had harboured a crush on the little oblivious blond.

That little piece of knowledge was something Leon had accidentally leaked out to Yuffie, but it was something he would never regret, she was sure. It was after one of their many kendo practices, when Yuffie had poked fun at Squally-Wally (her favourite nickname for him, and something he completely abhorred) for staring at someone so much. Leon had scowled, but did not deny. And Yuffie knew him well enough to know that anything Leon did not deny was in fact, the truth. Besides, one of Leon's closest friends, Riku, who was standing just beside them and so overheard the whole conversation, had merely hid his smirk and gave Yuffie an encouraging wink. That was when Yuffie knew she had gotten the best blackmail material in a very long time.

Sometimes, Yuffie felt like dangling the beautiful piece of information like a carrot in front of all the fangirls and boys just so she could do her perfect imitation of an evil and smug laughter in front of the entire school. And she would have too, if it wasn't for the fact that the certain someone Leon liked was Cloud, her best friend. Cloud would probably die from all the sudden attention.

Then, Cloud groaned and turned in his bed, causing his blanket to slip to his waist. The girl sighed, floating up to him to cover him better. Sometimes, it felt like Cloud would never grow up, and it was up to her to look after him like a big sister. She at least owed the Strife family this much. They had always been kind to her. But when she reached out, her hands only passed through the blanket like she wasn't truly there. Mind reveling from the harsh reminder of her death, Yuffie couldn't help but stare at her hands.

Useless.

She could no longer help Cloud the way she had done before.

Helpless.

She couldn't even pull Cloud's blanket over him anymore.

Powerless.

She spent the rest of the night staring at Cloud's sleeping form.

-tbc-


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Vanilla part 2

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: LxC and a bit of RxS

Warnings: AU, romance, sap, fluff, humour, OOC-ness

Archive: Finally As much as I would love to lay claim to Cloud, I'm kinda scared of Leon's gunblade. So well, I don't own Kingdom Hearts and its character, and neither do I own the various Final Fantasies and their characters.

Note: This fic is inspired by the Japanese manga _Eerie Queerie_, so I'll mostly be referring to how schools work in Japan. That means students stay in one classroom the whole day, and basically everyone in the class is taking more or less the same few subjects. And this fic's theme song is Gackt's _Vanilla_. /sniggers/

Summary: Cloud's only friend, Yuffie, had just died a few weeks ago. However, Yuffie can't move on to the next world and so she follows Cloud around in his daily life. And she just can't resist the opportunity to play the finest prank on Cloud by possessing his body and confessing to someone… LxC

* * *

Someone was playing with his hair. Cloud scowled and reached out, slapping the hand away. It was too god damn early to wake up, even if he had school. He snuggled deeper into his pillow. Ah, peace and quiet.

Then, he felt someone push his bangs away from his face, which was really good since that one spike of bang was irritating his eye. But the hand, upon sensing no negative reaction, seemed to get bolder. Cloud growled and batted the hand away when it tried to cup his cheek. He ignored the light chuckle that followed, not really caring who it was in his room. It was probably Yuffie anyway. She could dump water on him for all he cared; he was tired like hell, though the reason for his tiredness was out his mind's comprehension at the moment. He wanted sleep.

"It's time to wake up, Cloud. We'll be late for school."

Since when did Yuffie's voice become so deep? But seriously, he didn't care.

"Bite me… I'm not waking up," he mumbled, finding a better position in his pillow before sighing blissfully.

There was another amused chuckle.

"I'd rather you be fully awake when I bite you. For now though, I guess a kiss will suffice…"

Cloud didn't have time to register those words before he felt a light pressure on his temple, then another on his left eye, then his cheek. It was very soft, almost like they'd never been there, but Cloud knew better. Someone had kissed him. And it sure as hell wasn't Yuffie, because the girl never did something sweet like that. She was sweet in her own way, but she never went around kissing people. With that realization dawning on him, Cloud felt himself stiffen as he slowly forced himself to open his eyes. What he saw nearly caused him to choke.

There, sitting comfortably at the edge of his bed, was Leon. His smirk widened marginally when he noticed Cloud's eyes on him. He didn't seem to notice the blond's shock, however, and he reached out to caress his cheek.

"Morning, Cloud."

" Le- Leon? Why are you here? I mean, why are you in my room?" Cloud bolted upright, eyes wide. He checked himself discreetly. Good, his pajamas were still on, and it didn't seem like someone had undone the buttons before (he hoped). He quickly searched his mind, sighing in relief only when he realized that nothing had happened last night. Still, it didn't explain why Leon was in his room this early in the morning!

If Leon had noticed Cloud's jumpiness, he did not say anything about it. Instead, he shifted his position closer to his boyfriend.

"I'm here to pick you up for school. Speaking of which, we should be leaving in about 20 minutes."

"20 minutes?" Cloud yelled in surprise, eyes immediately shooting to his alarm clock on the nightstand. He had set the darn thing to wake him up at 8 a.m., hadn't he? Apparently not, since he had heard not one squeak or ring from the thing for the entire morning. Stupid clock. He needed a good half-an-hour to get to school, and now it was already 8.30 a.m. There wasn't time for a bit of lazing around, a quick shower, or even breakfast. He was going to be late, late, late!

Before he could launch into a full-blown panic and jump out of his bed, however, Leon pulled him back down.

"I turned off the alarm because I didn't want to wake you. You looked like you could use a bit more sleep. Besides, I can get us to school in ten minutes."

"Eh?"

"I have a car."

"Oh."

"You should wash yourself up now. I'll wait for you downstairs." Leon did not wait for a reply and left the room.

Cloud remained in bed for a moment more, not because he wanted to sleep, but rather, because he wasn't entirely sure what had just transpired in the last couple of minutes. Leon was in his house. Leon was sitting on his bed. Leon had just kissed him. He had to be dreaming. Yesterday did not happen. He had not confessed his feelings for Leon in front of the entire class. His classmates had not hooted and congratulated him. He was not Leon's boyfriend.

But when he pinched himself and felt the sting, he knew it was all real. And he started to laugh nervously, willing for anyone, anything to save him.

It came in the form of a female spirit who had been standing in the corner of his room since a while ago and so saw everything that had happened. The problem was: her definition of saving was quite different from what Cloud was hoping for. She whistled as she floated over to her friend.

"Woah, that was some wake-up call," she said with a snicker. Then she suddenly straightened, trying to look more suave as she imitated Leon. "I'd rather you be fully awake when I bite you. For now though, I guess a kiss will suffice…" she breathed out the last part dreamily, the grin on her face widening with every word. When she finished, she burst into peals of laughter, poking at the blushing Cloud. "Gods! That was so unbelievably sweet! Who would have thought that Leon would be the type to say this kind of stuff? And the naughty promise! Bite you! He wants to bite you, Cloud!" She clamped her teeth together in one swift action, her pearly whites making a 'clicking' sound, and when she finished, she continued laughing.

The blond swiped irritably at her, frustrated that he couldn't even touch her.

"Shut up Yuffie! This is all your fault! Now Leon thinks I love him!"

"And I think your mother loves him too," she chirped, backing away to sit down on Cloud's desk. "Your mother was so ecstatic when Leon knocked on the door, telling her that he was here to pick you up for school. She was so happy I bet she was a second away from bursting into song! Oh, my son has a new friend! And what a nice young man he picked for a friend!" she finished in a singsong.

Cloud stared at her incredulously.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm being perfectly serious. Now your mother has become completely besotted with your new pal, firmly believing that he will do you some good now that I'm gone. My son needs more friends, and I know you're just the right one, she said. Aren't you glad? Your mom has accepted your boyfriend!"

"No!"

"She asked Leon to drop by as much as he can, and she even told him to come up here to wake you up before she left for work, knowing what a difficult task that is and how I used to do all sorts of crazy things to wake you. That action was like telling Leon, hey, my son is all yours! You can kiss him awake like he's sleeping beauty and you're the prince! Basically, I thought she played the role of the weeping mother entrusting her only son to his new husband perfectly, except she wasn't crying. She was smiling so much I got worried for a while if that smile would permanently split her face!"

Cloud buried his head in his hands.

"This can't be true…"

"Too bad, so sad, but it's all true. Of course, Leon didn't tell her that he was your boyfriend, but it's just a matter of time. She already likes Leon, so there'll be no problems when you two tell her your real relationship!"

He scowled.

"There /is/ no real relationship! You possessed me and confessed! I didn't do a thing!"

She raised an eyebrow as Cloud continued to stare her down. Completely unfazed, she pointed innocently at his alarm clock.

"You'd better hurry because you're running late."

He gasped at that reminder, and he muttered colourful obscenities under his breath as he darted into the washroom. There would be time to deal with Yuffie's prank later, but now, he had to get ready for school. He had tons of work due today, Mr. Highwind was starting on the next chapter of physics (he had never understood the rest of the chapter whenever he skipped the first lesson for a new topic), and he was due for a huge humiliating experience for yesterday's confession. Yeah, he was going to get teased and laughed to death by the rest of the student population, who would have no doubt gotten wind of the news by now. Cloud's toothbrush stilled in his hands and remained in his frozen hand when that thought hit him like a punch to the face.

Did he really want to go to school?

… …no, of course not.

If Cloud had his way, he would feign sickness for the rest of the year.

The problem was: his mother was a nurse at the local hospital. His scheme would be seen through in a split-second.

The second problem was: he had a feeling that if he feigned illness, Leon was likely to be around his room a lot more. The things that could happen! Cloud was still mentally scarred by all the things he had seen in Yuffie's doujinshi collection, involving nurse outfits and ahem… thermometers that did were not meant for oral use.

Cloud started to brush his teeth again, much faster than his earlier speed. In a few minutes, he was all dressed and ready to go. Steeling himself for the humiliation and embarrassment that was bound to come, he picked up his book bag and trudged down the stairs. He was surprised to see Leon standing by the bottom of the stairs, who upon meeting his eyes, gave him a resigned yet amused smile.

"You took ages."

The blond blinked.

"Well… I was feeling a little… disoriented."

"By what? Me appearing in your room?" Leon chuckled softly before offering a packed breakfast. "Your mother knew you were going to be late for breakfast this morning, so she packed your sandwich. You can eat while I drive. Let's go." He reached out to grab Cloud's hand, lacing their fingers together.

Amidst Yuffie's squealing, Cloud felt himself getting pulled out of his house. If there was one consolation, he was feeling a bit cold and Leon's hand was really warm. But that really didn't explain why he did not snatch his hand back like it was being torched. Leon's grasp wasn't so tight that he couldn't just pull away; rather, their fingers were laced together loosely, almost like the brunet was giving Cloud a chance to back away if he wanted to. It was only after a while, when they'd reached the door, that Leon tightened his grasp, and he only released Cloud (albeit reluctantly) when they got to his car.

As Cloud settled himself into the sleek black car, he was trying to convince himself that the reason why he hadn't pulled away earlier was because of shock. Yeah, he had been so shocked that Leon would actually take his hand that he hadn't had time to remove his hand before Leon tightened the grip, giving him no chance to pull his hand away. Unless he wanted to jerk away suddenly and hurt Leon's feelings, that is.

"Admit it, Cloudy-boy. You like him," Yuffie drawled amusedly as she lounged across the backseat. Somehow, she just knew how to press Cloud's buttons, even if he had not voiced out his thoughts.

He growled low in his throat, taking a particularly vicious bite from his sandwich like the bread was the extremely irritating girl behind him. He could just see it: Yuffie was begging for his mercy, screaming how she would never make another smart-ass jibe like that. Cloud took another bite. She was now weeping in pain, saying how sorry she was. Cloud bit harder. She pleaded for him to stop biting her. Cloud paused. That thought was a little sick…

"You alright, Cloud?"

He nearly jumped. Warily, he glanced to his side, where Leon was fixing him with a concerned frown. Thank goodness there was a red light.

"I'm… fine. Just a little lost in my thoughts."

"Wondering how things will change now that we're together? Well, we'll get used to it," Leon replied with a shrug, stepping on the accelerator again when the light turned green.

While Leon concentrated on the road, Cloud was busy categorizing his latest statement as completely random. What gave the brunet the idea that he was thinking about them together? Was Leon… worried about this too? The Freudian slip was kinda telling… Not to mention the way Leon's brow had creased and how his grip on the steering wheel had tightened when he replied.

He was saved from thinking too much on the issue when Leon pulled into the school in one smooth, practiced move. Yuffie yawned loudly, lazily floating out of the car for a stretch. For once, Cloud wished he could just float out of the car like her, but instead, he found himself too nervous to move. What was going to happen to his school life now, after her ultimate prank? He got an answer of sorts when two girls passing by Leon's vehicle shot him envious looks, giggling as they walked away. Sighing, Cloud got out, just in time to hear the car beeping, signaling the automatic locks were kicking in.

Before he could go any further, Leon was grabbing his hand again and leading him in the general direction of the lockers.

" Le- Leon!"

"Yes?" Leon paused in his steps, turning back to look at his new boyfriend concernedly. Cloud was flushing again. He grinned at having such an effect on the blond. After all, the blond did look extremely delectable with a blush.

"You know… maybe, maybe we shouldn't be so… obvious about our relationship, you know? I mean," Cloud laughed nervously, "people are really gonna laugh and all that… So maybe we just act like we usually do in school?"

Yuffie snorted at the almost timid and embarrassed suggestion.

Leon, in response, grabbed his hand tighter.

"No one can make us be ashamed of our relationship unless we let them," he replied solemnly, gray eyes filled with determination and confidence. Pulling Cloud closer, he cupped his cheek gently. "Don't be afraid to let the world know about us because nothing's gonna change that."

Yuffie whistled while the blond blushed harder, this time not just from embarrassment but also from frustration. Seriously, he must have woken up on the wrong side of bed that morning. Nothing was going right for him! Behind him, Yuffie was hiding a snigger behind her hand as she floated down to ground level.

"I think Leon's just being possessive. He just wants the whole world to know you're his. Aw, how sweet!"

Cloud had the biggest urge to swipe at her like a tiger going for its prey, and that urge doubled in intensity when she started to make kissing sounds. But Leon diverted his attention when he brushed a thumb just below his right eye.

"Besides, the whole school would have known about us by now, so there's no point hiding."

The blond stilled.

"What do you mean?"

Leon had the grace to look sheepish, even if it was only a little. In fact, he seemed to look more smug than sheepish.

"Knowing Riku and Tidus, they've probably filled up the school notice boards about us. And Aeris did take some photos of us yesterday with her cell phone…"

Cloud nearly passed out. Yuffie just laughed harder.

* * *

Getting around school was a chore that morning, fraught with teasing schoolmates who were undoubtedly in cahoots with Yuffie as they made kissing sounds together, and also fraught with swooning girls and envious stares. The worst were those who had regarded Cloud with contempt and snorted haughtily as they went about saying how Leon was just fooling around with him; once he realized how boring Cloud was, he would go back to being Radiant High's most sought after ice prince. They had no idea how much Cloud was looking forward to that day.

Instead, all those people saw was abandoned little Cloud picking up his books alone at his locker, with his boyfriend nowhere to be seen (the other students had given the bullies a wide berth, and ran away as soon as possible). It only made sense, since their lockers were a good distance away from one another's, but those bird-brains hadn't thought of that. So while they were gleefully being nasty to the blond, who was inwardly hoping for all their talk of Leon leaving him alone soon to come true, they completely missed a silver-haired boy coming their way. They only noticed when said boy's thick geography textbook slammed into their faces.

"Woah, didn't see any of you there, man. Sorry," the silver-haired youth said offhandedly, and one couldn't help but question his sincerity for he was still flailing his book around. "Morning Cloud!"

"Err… Morning, Riku." It was so freaking strange, to have everyone paying attention to him all of a sudden. Cloud had seldom talked to Riku, even if they had been classmates for the past 2 years. Excuse him if he can't wrap his mind around the idea of Riku helping him out in the hall way.

" Leon's picking up his books? Ah, that explains why he's not around you now. He'd have been all over you otherwise," Riku teased good-naturedly, much to the blond's embarrassment. His smile curled into a cruel smile when his gaze moved down to the idiots who had been bothering Cloud earlier. "If I see you around Cloud again, something else might just slip out of my hand again. And I'll bet that it's gonna something much, much sharper than this textbook I have right now."

The bunch of bullies disappeared immediately, and Riku sighed in amusement.

"I was just kidding them and they're already running away like dogs with their tails clipped between their legs!" -he turned to Cloud- "Imagine what would they do if Leon was here. They'd hightail out of town when they see Leon glaring murderously at them, looking like he wants to rip their bones out and donate all of their organs away. That is if they can make it out before Leon decides to punch them. Big 'if' there because Leon's a really fast runner when he wants to." Riku grinned at a sudden thought, his pearly whites showing. "So you're stuck with him, you know? Leon'll chase you no matter where you go, now that you're with him."

Cloud laughed nervously again. Why was everybody (sans those bullies) telling him the same thing? You're not gonna get away from Leon. Ever. You can try screaming your head off and run for the hills, but he's going to be right behind you like he's super-glued to you. Cloud could just imagine hearing Riku saying all that with that grin on his face, which seemed almost permanently etched there. But it was a sincere grin, at least.

"Got your books? Then let's head off to our special little hell with fluorescent lights, better known as our classroom! Leon should be getting there," Riku said, breaking Cloud out from his little trance. He turned around and made to walk off.

"Wait!" The word was tumbling out of Cloud's mouth before he knew what he was doing. Riku spun back around, his silver brows knitted in confusion.

"Erm…"

Yuffie sighed. Sometimes, Cloud just needed to get a hold of his mouth. She quickly slipped around him and whispered, "Thank him for helping you out!"

"Th… Thanks, for helping me. Anyway, could you…you know, don't tell Leon about what happened? Cause it could… you know, make him worry and I don't want that." Of course he didn't want that! If Leon did have that mean protective streak his friends had warned him about, the brunet could decide Cloud needed protecting and hang around him all day long! Cloud had no intention of getting shadowed by a guy, no matter how handsome or popular said guy was, and especially since said guy wanted a piece of him.

Riku did not hear Cloud's mental speech, of course. So his grin remained, but this time, there was slight hint of mischief in that grin, coupled with a glimmer of playfulness in his aqua eyes.

"That is a good idea. Leon would probably go nuts if he finds out you're having bully issues now. There's no need to make him go on the rampage now, is there?"

"…No, of course not."

There was nothing more that needed to be said about the issue, although Riku seemed like he was pretty tempted by the idea, if just to satisfy his own urges to see those idiots getting terrorized by an angry Leon. Technically, the bell was about to ring any moment now, but somehow, the two of them just stood there before the rows of lockers, unwilling to move. It was like there was a charming spell in the situation they had found themselves in, and neither wanted to break it. In Cloud's case, he was just wondering why Riku was staring at him so intently, almost like he was trying to find something.

Apparently, he found it after a while.

"…You're going to make Leon very happy."

"Eh?"

Riku shrugged and turned away, leaving Cloud to catch up with him when the bell suddenly began to ring shrilly, signaling the start of another day at Radiant High.

* * *

Leon refused to budge. No matter what Cloud said, he just plain refused to leave his new-found seat beside his boyfriend. The blond had tried to guilt-trip him by saying he was abandoning Riku if he moved to the new seat, but the silver-haired boy had only happily given them a wide grin and wished them good luck with their new love nest. Then Cloud had tried persuading Leon by bringing in the possibility of teachers not being happy with the new arrangement because some of them were just so anal and total control freaks; Tidus had gleefully pointed out that Leon was the star pupil in school, and no teacher had ever really had a problem with whatever the brunet did. If they did, Leon just needed to tell them that the new seat stimulated his brain better and they would shut up. In a last ditch, Cloud had suggested –quite weakly, if he might add- that the other students might not be placated if only Leon could change his seat at will. Leon had given the class the evil eye and all harsh whispers immediately died down.

So Leon's seat in class was beside Cloud's now.

Cloud wouldn't have such a big problem with it, really, if it wasn't for the fact that Leon had decided to be all touchy-feely all of a sudden. He reckoned it had something to do with those hastily scribbled notes the brunet's friends had tossed in their direction, but Leon didn't let him read any of those. Instead, Leon just suddenly put his hand over Cloud's. When the second note came (this one surprisingly coming from Aeris), the brunet had taken a look at it before his eyes widened. Cloud had no time to wonder what the sweet girl had written to cause such a reaction in Leon before he felt Leon's arm snake around his waist.

But he couldn't protest. Not in the middle of Mr. Highwind's class. That man would have him chewed and bitten out thoroughly for talking in class. Whispering was a big no-no too, since Yuffie had offhandedly suggested the possibility of Leon getting turned on by his boyfriend's low, breathy whispers. Since the girl knew Leon better than he did, Cloud decided to take her advice for once and shut up.

So Leon's hand remained there for the rest of the lesson.

* * *

Ms. Branford –though she usually asked the students to call her just Terra- was supposed to come in for geography lessons after Mr. Highwind, but she had called in sick that day, and so her one-hour block of lesson time became a self-study session. Just as long as the students did not leave the classroom and kept the volume down, they were free to do as they wished. After they finished the two-page assignment Ms. Branford had left them, that is.

Cloud's mind went blank at the first question. Did he really have to know how an ox-bow lake was formed? Was that little piece of knowledge going to help him in his career later on or something? Really, he couldn't imagine himself not getting a well-deserved promotion just because he didn't know how an ox-bow lake was formed. Or that his salary was going to get docked for the same reason.

It was then that Leon leaned over more.

"Need help?"

"Erm, yeah I guess. I suck at geography…"

A grin was tugging at the edge of Leon's lips again. Cloud was simply getting amazed at the number of smiles he had seen Leon give since yesterday; the number was already several times higher than the number of smiles he had seen from the same guy in the past two years.

"I'll draw a diagram and explain it to you. See, it starts where there's a meander in a river…" And Leon launched into a simple and concise explanation that even a geography idiot like Cloud would have problems not understanding. No wonder he was the star pupil in their school.

After Leon finished, Cloud was finally able to answer the question, even though there was still a small part where the other had to correct him on. But mostly, he was able to understand the concept of how an ox-bow lake was formed, even if it probably wasn't going to help advance his career in the future.

"Wow, you're really good in geography," he commented as he erased a portion of his diagram and redrew it. "I've never had someone make this so idiot-proof."

"Well, that's to be expected," someone said as he snickered. Cloud raised his head in curiosity, only to see Tidus who was two seats down the next row wagging his eyebrows at him. The teenager continued when he knew he had gotten the other's attention. " Leon's been observing you, you know? And ever since he found out that you're not really good with geography…"

"He's been studying especially hard for the subject in case you need his help one day!" Aeris, who was three seats behind Tidus, chirped in, giggling sweetly when she finished. "It's so sweet!"

Cloud blinked. He was about to ask Leon if that was true when he turned and noticed the deep blush the brunet was sporting. That was answer enough.

The rest of the class began whispering amongst themselves, having caught a bit of the information. Soon, Cloud could hear whispers of " Leon must be crazy for Cloud to do that sort of thing!" and "That's so sweet!" amidst some wide-eyed, envious stares. A few of the girls looked especially envious, swooning dreamily. One of them even turned to her boyfriend, who was unfortunately just beside her, demanding that he excel in the subject she didn't so he could tutor her.

"Wow, that's something I didn't expect…"

Cloud peered discreetly to his side, where Yuffie had floated down from the ceiling.

"If this goes on, we're going to find out that Leon excels in all subjects just so he could help you."

Please, god no! Cloud was already feeling incredibly guilty for leading Leon on the way he was. He didn't need to be guilt-tripped even more, but it seemed that Leon and his friends were tour agents for guilt trips, continually feeding Cloud with more and more information about how much Leon really liked him. Things were going to get ugly…

" Leon…"

"It's nothing, Cloud. Let's just finish the work. It's due by the end of the lesson."

The blond nodded hesitantly. That was when he recalled something that had almost slipped his mind.

"By the way, Leon, could you let go of my waist now?"

Leon turned to him, a hint of hurt and rejection flashed in his eyes. Cloud felt the guilt beast pawing at him, so he mumbled, "No, it's alright."

Leon's hand seemed to be permanently stuck to his waist with super-glue for the rest of the lesson, and the next, and the next… much to the blond's dismay and Yuffie's delight.

* * *

The lunch bell rang at the perfect time: when Cloud had gotten tired of hiding his squirms. After all, it was the first time someone had held his waist for such an extended period of time, and it felt so… strange and awkward. The discomfort was exacerbated by Ms. Trepe's raised eyebrow (she had asked Cloud a question, to which he had tried to stand up to answer), their classmates' occasional stares, and Yuffie's constant snickering.

But lunch presented another problem: now that he was Leon's boyfriend, he was expected to eat lunch at their usual table with them. And it wasn't like he could hold it off with the excuse that he had to dine with his friends, because everyone knew he had no real friends apart from Yuffie.

So hesitantly, he followed them to the lunch room, wary of what might happen next. Riku, Tidus and Aeris were all nice people, but if they were going to tease him and Leon more, he wasn't sure if he could stomach the guilt. One good thing that came out of lunch, however, was that Leon had taken to holding his hand instead of his waist as they made their way through the hungry crowd. It was a lot better than being held at the waist, really. Leon's hand at his waist made him feel strange and awkward, but Leon holding his hand was a lot more comfortable. Cloud really wouldn't mind having his hand in Leon's for a moment longer if it meant no hand around his waist.

…But only because of that. It wasn't because Cloud's hand fitted so nicely in Leon's. No, it wasn't because of that.

He was so busy worrying that he didn't notice the burst of yellow headed his way until it was too late. Before he could register what was happening, Cloud had his arms full with a bundle of hyperactive energy, hugging him and squealing.

"Oh, Cloud! I can't believe you're dating Leon now! I've always wanted to match-make you two, but now it seems like I don't have to anymore! Oh wow! It's just so sweet! I saw the notices about your relationship with Leon this morning on the notice boards," –Riku and Tidus grinned- "and I was like: 'Oh my god! They're finally together! And Cloud even took the initiative!' I wanted to look for you two this morning before classes started, but I just couldn't find you! But now that I have, you absolutely have to tell me how the relationship is like! Oh, you must be so happy now!"

"Wait, wait! Hold on a minute! Who are you?"

Tidus took the opportunity to pull the girl away gently, chiding her softly for barreling into Cloud. She pouted.

Cloud took a closer look at her before recognizing her as the girl whom he had often seen hanging around Tidus and Aeris. But he didn't know her any better than that. Gossiping and knowing people were Yuffie's forte, not his.

"Selphie," –ah, so that was the girl's name, Cloud noted- "I know you're very excited by this, but you have to give Cloud some time to answer." Aeris was holding the girl by the shoulders, in case she decided to jump or something. Tidus nodded sagely.

"But I want to know all the juicy details now!" Selphie whined, still pouting with puppy eyes that made her almost unbearably cute.

However, as cute as she was, she was making a ruckus and attracting everybody's attention. Soon, people started staring and whispering, and Cloud knew. No matter how many times this sort of thing happened, he would never get used to it. In a matter of seconds, he was blushing again, willing for the ground to open and swallow him up. And if the ground refused to open up, then he would dig a hole in the ground and hide himself.

"Why don't we have lunch somewhere quiet today? I think the lunch room's pretty crowded," Riku suddenly suggested. "Leon and I can go pick up the food, and you guys just head on over to our usual spot in the garden." He didn't miss the look of gratitude Cloud shot him, and he winked.

Leon let go of Cloud albeit reluctantly, and the blond was about to sigh in relief –inwardly, of course- when Selphie latched onto him and dragged him off to the school garden. The others followed quickly, occasionally telling the hyperactive girl to let Cloud catch his bearings and also to let Cloud talk. In the brief five-minute walk, Cloud had gotten a introduction, found out that Selphie was dating Tidus and that's why she hung around the gang as well, that she was from class 2-F and her classroom was three corridors away from Cloud's, and that she held a strange fascination for blonds. Cloud wasn't sure if that was all Selphie had said, but he was sure that was all his mind had managed to catch. If Yuffie was a fast talker, then Selphie was a fast talker on sugar. Tons of sugar.

It was a good thing they reached the isolated garden as fast as they did. Cloud was already feeling disoriented. Again. As he leaned against a tree and sat down, he felt his headache begin to subside when Tidus pulled his girlfriend away for a quiet chat. In a matter of seconds, the girl was gushing and beaming, concentrating on Tidus for all he was worth. After leaving Cloud with a short, "Good luck!" Yuffie floated up to the tree for a good rest. Even she had problems catching everything Selphie had said. Aeris settled beside Cloud, offering him an apologetic smile.

"That must have been traumatizing. We've all been through that one time or another, with Selphie always like that. She just gets excited easily."

Too easily, Cloud reckoned, but he kept mum.

"But she's not the only one this time," Aeris added with a small giggle. "I must admit, Riku, Tidus and I got really raved up too, and we went around school this morning to pin up notices about you and Leon. Oh, don't worry. We didn't write too much. Just a short message and this sweet photo about you two getting together in the middle of class yesterday."

That was enough damage done already.

"We're really happy for you and Leon, you know? Especially Leon, because…" –she sighed- "Sometimes I think it's so sad to see Leon's eyes trained on you but never getting the nerves to approach you or do anything about it. You're always so quiet, and he didn't want to scare you away by suddenly talking to you. It's a good thing you approached him first."

"Definitely!" Selphie piped in, clapping her hands. "Oh, it's just so pathetic to see Leon pining away for you day in day out and not knowing what to do about his crush on you! He reminded me of a lost puppy so much I was tempted to pat his head and tell him, 'Good puppy!' But Tidus said Leon would kill me if I tried that."

"He most definitely would!" Tidus interrupted heatedly, as though warning the girl against even habouring the thought of trying. Then he turned to Cloud, and he started grinning in a way Cloud wasn't sure he liked. "But I'm not sure what would happen if Cloud called Leon a puppy…" He raised a suggestive eyebrow, much to Cloud's discomfort. The girls giggled.

"Hey, what are you guys laughing about? Care to share the joke?"

Cloud's head shot up. Riku and Leon were coming their way with their arms full of food trays, and he quickly stood up with an offer to help. Anything to prevent Tidus from spilling the so-called joke. There was no way they were going to make him call Leon a puppy! He liked living, thank you very much. As sucky as his life was right now, he had no intentions of joining Yuffie, who was currently guffawing loudly in the tree, and float around everywhere.

Luckily, the others did not dwell on it, except when Tidus had turned to him and teasingly mouthed 'puppy'. Other than that, lunch was a light-hearted affair. Cloud mostly ate quietly and wondered how had Leon and Riku known exactly what he liked and gotten extra of that. Too bad they didn't know he abhorred peas and gotten a bit of that for him as well. The rest of them carried on an easy conversation, their topics ranging from the weather to school work, to which Tidus had cringed when he realized he had forgotten to complete an essay that was due the next day. Selphie immediately began consoling her Tidy-Widy –Riku had stifled a laugh here- and promised to help him churn something out later.

It was so… surreal. Everything felt surreal. Cloud had expected to feel out of place with this group of people, but with them, there was none of the awkwardness and anxiety that he had experienced when Yuffie tried introducing new friends to him. Sure, Riku and Tidus made him uncomfortable sometimes, Selphie even more, but those were just good-natured teasing, something he would expect as Leon's new boyfriend. With them, it was as though they had known each other for years instead of days.

Up above them, Yuffie was wiping a mock tear from her eye, sighing dramatically. Her Cloud was growing up and making new friends all on his own! Soon, he would tell her that he was already making out with his new boyfriend. Oh, how she anticipated that day! Actually, come to think of it, Cloud didn't have to tell her. She was following him everywhere! If he made out with anyone, she would be the first to know. A voice inside of her muttered, 'voyeur', but Yuffie ignored it.

Feeling a little too full, Cloud set his tray down and pushed it to the side. Yuffie peered down from her perch, shaking her head when she noticed he had not touched the peas at all. Those disgusting little green stuff were healthy, damn it! Why wouldn't he listen to her?

"You're not eating those?"

Cloud blinked. It was Leon, and the brunet was nodding sharply at his tray, where only a lump of green peas were left.

"Well, I hate peas…"

"But they're healthy!" Selphie chirped, spooning peas into her mouth. "And they put colour on your cheeks!"

Beside her, Tidus muttered under his breath, "Why would I want my cheeks to be green?" Even so, he was eating his peas without protest. So were Aeris and Riku.

"But I still hate peas."

"Eat some at least," Leon pushed.

"They're disgusting," Cloud replied with a frown. Above him, Yuffie was nodding sagely.

"Just a little?"

Cloud shook his head.

"…What's your favourite food?"

"Eh?"

"I'll buy you your favourite food after school if you eat the peas."

This was such a dilemma… NOT! Still lounging on the tree, Yuffie whistled at the smooth tactic. Cloud always, always fell for this one. He just could never say no to his favourite addiction.

"Vanilla ice-cream. I want vanilla ice-cream," Cloud stated vehemently, almost indignantly like he was trying to deter anyone who even thought of snubbing his choice of good food.

"Fine, vanilla ice-cream. Eat the peas first."

"…Do I really have to?"

Leon gave him a look.

Pouting slightly, Cloud took a small spoonful of peas and shoved them into his mouth before flushing them down with a gulp of water. He was /not/ biting those things, vanilla ice-cream or not. But… vanilla ice-cream was a gift god sent to earth! They were the boon of his existence! There was nothing more delicious, more delectable than vanilla flavoured ice-cream! Cloud sighed contentedly as he imagined himself eating tub after tub of vanilla ice-cream. Too bad his mother had forbidden him from eating too much of that stuff because it was unhealthy and fattening. It was a downside of having a mum who worked as a nurse.

"I don't suppose you noticed that you two are acting like newlyweds?" Riku laughed.

"Oh, they do, they do! Right Tidus?"

"Ah, today we gather at the school garden to witness the blissful union of this two blessed young man, Squall Leonhart and Cloud Strife. We pronounce you two married! You may now kiss the bride! Erm, groom! Whatever!"

"On that note," – the silver-haired boy stood up- "We should probably leave the newlyweds alone, no?" He snickered before picking up his empty tray and running off, quickly followed by Tidus and Selphie, who were both laughing.

Aeris giggled. "Play nice and don't be too loud!" And then she was gone as well. The only sound left in that area was the loud guffawing coming from Yuffie, though only Cloud could hear her.

So for whatever it was worth, Cloud was alone with Leon again. Not a good thing, he thought. He was proven right when he tried suggesting returning to their classroom, but found his lap full of Leon before he could finish his sentence. Leon had laid his head on Cloud's thighs, reclining supinely on the grassy ground. Cloud found himself sputtering and blushing like crazy. Not even Yuffie had ever tried lying on his thighs before! In fact, no one had ever done that before!

"I'm tired, and we still have at least fifteen minutes before classes start," came Leon's smooth voice, though there was a tinge of uncertainty there.

Yuffie finally left the comforts of the tree branches and floated down to settle beside her blond friend. Offhandedly, she commented, "Poor Leon. He must have woken up early to pick you up for school. And he probably stayed up late last night to find out your exact address. See, see? Leon's being so sweet to you! You should let him wallow in your sweetness too! Just let him take a short nap on your thighs! It's not like you're gonna lose your legs after this!"

Just my pride, Cloud whispered in his mind.

Seeing that Cloud was still sorely tempted to forcefully evict Leon from his comfortable position, Yuffie took action. Before he could even protest, she was in control of his body again, cackling maniacally as she wrestled control over.

Unfortunately, Leon could not hear his boyfriend's mental scream for help to get rid of a certain pesky parasite, so he continued with his nap. His eyes flew opened, however, when he felt slender fingers massaging his temples.

"…Cloud?"

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

"It's nothing. You picked me up for school, didn't you?"

They sat in silence for a while, and Cloud took to sulking at the back of his mind. At least Yuffie wasn't doing anything funny with his body, so he didn't try to push her out again. And she was right anyway. Leon had done him a favour that morning. She was just returning the small favour for him right now.

And then, Yuffie began with her plans.

" Leon, now that we're together, I think I have to tell you this. I'll understand if you can't accept it, but it's just…" she sighed, to which Leon raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "You know that I was very close to Yuffie, right? After she died, there was a period of time when I just… lost it, I guess. I was so depressed. So I went to this doctor, and he told me it was normal to feel that way after a close friend dies, but I had to pull it together. Well, a lot of things happened, and the thing is, I've still not completely recovered. So sometimes I tend to behave… somewhat erratically."

Great, now Leon's gonna think I'm some sort of psycho, Cloud thought bitterly. And then, it came to him. She was explaining the differences in his and Yuffie's behaviour so the brunet wouldn't think too much of it! Argh, darn it. Cloud had secretly haboured the hope that Leon would notice something off with him when he jumped away whilst Yuffie leaned into his touch. And then Leon would maybe… exorcise him or something.

Darn Yuffie for taking that into consideration. He was about to sulk more when his ears picked up a hint of regret in her voice.

"…I didn't tell Yuffie how much I valued her friendship while she was still alive. I didn't tell her how much fun I had with her and how much she brightened my day when I should have. It makes me sad sometimes… knowing that I won't get a chance to tell her now." Yuffie's voice had trailed off near the end, volume softening until she was almost choking. Cloud felt his heart sinking at the truth of it all. Was this what had gone through her mind when she was lying in her own blood, hearing passerby's horrified screams and the howls of the ambulance, and feeling the stares of strangers on her body, seeing her more dead than alive?

"So I decided on her grave… that I would never let the chance to tell someone I love them slip by again."

For a while, all three of them fell silent, each wallowing in their own thoughts and memories. A cool breeze whispered across the garden, sweeping up fallen and stray leaves away. Slowly, Leon shifted his position until he was sitting upright again, carefully as he did so, almost like he was unwilling to disturb the tranquility. He reached out, gently guiding Cloud's head to his chest for a warm embrace. Yuffie did not resist, and this time, neither did Cloud.

"Cloud… I'm not good at talking, but…" – Leon sighed, running a hand through his brown jagged bangs- "I can listen. Just… talk and I will always listen."

The blond, still trapped in the back of his own mind, felt a smile tugging on his lips. Somehow, Leon's words created a warm, fuzzy sensation that was bubbling within his stomach, and the coziness was spreading within his body. It was almost like… drinking hot broth on a rainy day, and he could just feel the tenderness and adoration hidden behind the broth with every spoonful. Cloud loved that feeling.

Apparently, Yuffie loved it too, because before he knew it, she had lifted /his/ head to stare into Leon's grey eyes with /his/ eyes. She was smiling coyly, and her smile brightened when Leon offered a faint smile in return.

Cloud felt himself shiver, goose bumps breaking out on his skin. Something was wrong with the atmosphere between Leon and Yuffie, who was still using his body to carry out her as-of-yet unknown plans. Somehow, the atmosphere felt exactly like the type that had imaginary hearts springing around everyone's heads before the male lead leaned in to kiss the female lead… No, oh no no no! Yuffie would not kiss Leon with /his/ body, would she? Yuffie would not offer /his/ first kiss to another guy on a silver platter, would she?

No, she wouldn't do that sort of thing to her long-time best friend. Of course not.

But when Leon started to lean in, his face unbearably close and starting to swim out of focus, Cloud realized that yes, Yuffie would do all that and then some.

She had not budged an inch, like she was eagerly anticipating a kiss from her prince to wake her up from years of dreaming, sleeping beauty style. Too bad it was Cloud's idea of a perfect nightmare, and something he would never even wish on his enemies.

Leon's warm breath was already in his face.

Cloud was screaming hysterically in his mind, wailing to god for a reason why He was so cruel as to give him such a traitor for a best friend. Upon realizing it was too late to start praying, Cloud tried to bribe Yuffie with her favourite food, only to remember she couldn't exactly eat anymore. He screamed louder.

Yuffie still wasn't moving.

Leon's lips were barely a hair's width away, his warm breath tickling his face. Any moment now…

Cloud thought he was watching a horror movie. He screamed more.

Finally, just before their lips connected, Yuffie ducked, turning away with a deep blush marring her face. The blush, however, wasn't real. It was yet another wonderful manipulation of Cloud's face by the prankster, created to get the show moving. Inwardly, Yuffie was laughing her head off, tears gathering at her eyes when she noticed how the blond had melted in relief.

Outwardly, she was still blushing, and she cheered when Leon took her blush the exact way she wanted.

"So… Sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"No, no! It's my fault. I just… I'm just too nervous."

Cloud couldn't have given a damn to what Yuffie's excuse was, as long as she kept his lips safe and un-ravished by another guy. Still heaving deep breaths in relief, he sat slumped on the ground of his consciousness as she continued to act in front of Leon. And then, his ears perked up again when a telling tone –Yuffie's patented tone for mischief- began to surface in her voice.

"It's just that… you know, it's my first kiss and all…"

"…First?" Leon echoed, sounding awfully hopeful.

Cloud's radar for detecting Yuffie-style mischief kicked in. He had a really bad feeling about this.

"Yeah," Yuffie replied, ducking her head and still acting coy. "Maybe I'm not ready yet, but I really want to share my first kiss with you, Leon."

Oh hell no.

"My first kiss with my first boyfriend. That would be a really good memory, don't you think?"

"I'm your… first boyfriend?"

Cloud couldn't stop the unmanly, fearful whine that was spilling from his lips like a puppy's whine. And he was too busy imagining what would happen next to be thankful that nobody could hear him.

Yuffie nodded. "I've not been with anyone before you, you know? You're gonna be my first in everything. My first relationship, my first kiss, my first make-out session, my first time making love… Will we do them all?"

Cloud started to weep.

To his graces, Leon was blushing so hard it was impossible to see Radiant High's famed ice prince there at all. The ice prince never blushed. But there Leon was, with a pretty blush covering the entire expanse of his handsome face and a tinge of disbelief in his eyes. It was hard to believe that his Cloud could look so innocent and yet talk so… dirty. But he liked it. And Cloud was all his.

A satisfied grin blossoming on his face, he gathered Cloud back into his arms.

"As long you let me, we'll do all that and more."

"How much more?"

"A lot more."

"Teach me all of them?"

"You'd have to pay me for the tuition…"

"Hmm…" Yuffie pretended to think for a moment. Outwardly, all Leon could see was his Cloud cocking his head and tapping his chin with a slender finger as he thought hard. Cute.

"How about," Yuffie continued, "permission to drive me to school every morning so you can take the opportunity and pounce me in my bed when you try to wake me up? I'll even throw in at least one date per week. Special offer, only for you!" She grinned cheekily, a glimmer of mischief twinkling in Cloud's azure eyes.

"Deal." Leon leaned in to press a chaste kiss on Cloud's forehead, sealing the deal and promises.

Yuffie smiled sweetly while Cloud, still not in control of his own body, prayed for salvation. That, and a chastity belt.

-tbc-

* * *

A/N: Woah, you guys rock my world! I can't believe all the nice reviews I got... I seriously wasn't expecting so many. I'll try to churn out chapter 3 asap, but for now, I'll give you guys a brief idea of what's to happen in chapter 3. Keep those constructive criticisms coming please!

In the next chapter: In which Riku flirts with Sora at the ice-cream parlor, Roxas fends off a 'lecher' with a metal tray, Leon 'violates' his boyfriend's spoon, Cloud becomes the ultimate deer-in-headlights, and Yuffie falls off the car in surprise.

On another note, join the C2 Hanae da Firefly and I manage together! It's the largest collection of CLC fics on the website, and you can find the link on my biopage. And one day soon, I will get a livejournal account. One day... /slaps procrastinator self/


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Vanilla part 3

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: LxC and a bit of R/S

Warnings: AU, romance, sap, fluff, humour, OOC-nessf

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to lay claim to Cloud, I'm kinda scared of Leon's gunblade. So well, I don't own Kingdom Hearts and its character, and neither do I own the various Final Fantasies and their characters.

Note: This fic is inspired by the Japanese manga _Eerie Queerie_, so I'll mostly be referring to how schools work in Japan. That means students stay in one classroom the whole day, and basically everyone in the class is taking more or less the same few subjects. And this fic's theme song is Gackt's _Vanilla_. /sniggers/

Summary: Cloud's only friend, Yuffie, had just died a few weeks ago. However, Yuffie can't move on to the next world and so she follows Cloud around in his daily life. And she just can't resist the opportunity to play the finest prank on Cloud by possessing his body and confessing to someone… LxC

* * *

_Leon__'s guide to having a good first date with your boyfriend: _

Do not try to be courteous and ask your friends if they want to join you while shooting them warning glares on actually taking that offer, because they will definitely and very gleefully take up that offer, if not to spite you then to spy on you and your boyfriend openly.

Do not scowl at them immediately and in plain sight of your new boyfriend, because it will really spoil your image in his eyes. And also because it is difficult to not jump him when he blinks at you curiously with his mouth slightly open in surprise.

Do not swipe at your best friend when he innocently comments that you were the one who invited them in the first place, because your boyfriend will agree with him and your best friend will shoot you a smug look. Try not to fantasize hitting your best friend with a sledge hammer too, because it will show on your face, and it gets really difficult to explain the evil gleam in your eye. (Note: _Leon__'s guide to getting along with your best friend_ will be published separately.)

Do not mutter, "Extras on a set playing gooseberry" under your breath either, because no matter how softly you mutter/everyone/ will hear it. But at least everyone will pretend to not have heard it.

Do not forget to carefully take your boyfriend's hand in yours while walking down the street to the dating venue, because he will shoot surreptitious glances at you and your hand. Don't be too surprised when you start feeling arrows shoot into your back as your gang of friends are yelling at you telepathically to hold your boyfriend's waist. Giving in to all those looks and your own urges will make you feel infinitely better, so it is generally a good idea to give in.

Do not try to imitate the romance flicks your sister makes you watch with her by attempting to whisper sweet nothings into your boyfriend's ears while all your friends are with you, because they will either swoon, sigh dreamily, whistle or catcall. No matter what their response is, it completely spoils the mood and makes your boyfriend blush like hell.

Once at the ice-cream parlor, do not try to act too much like a gentleman and attempt to pull out the seat for your boyfriend, because for god's sake, he will feel his masculinity take a horrible blow and glare at you. Do not try to smooth this over by taking that seat yourself, because everyone will just /look/ at you with bewilderment.

Sitting at the table, do not even attempt to distract your boyfriend from the menu because it will bug the hell out of him, and he will politely (if not curtly) tell you that he wants to read the menu in peace.

Do not stare at your boyfriend too intently, wondering if he knows how exceptionally cute he is when he's concentrating on something, the way his eyes would narrow and how his kissable lips would almost pout, because he will become uncomfortable and ask you timidly if there's something on his face. Try not to stare at his lips with rapt fascination while reminiscing about all the sweet things he had told you that afternoon, because it will make him even more uncomfortable.

And when you start to drool as the words, "First boyfriend, first kiss, first make-out session and first time making love" are running amok in your head, avert your gaze lest you start groping your boyfriend in public.

* * *

Beside Leon, Cloud was having problems of an entirely different sort. He kept his eyes trained on the menu, afraid to look elsewhere for fear of Leon misunderstanding his intentions. Just earlier, when they were on their way to the ice-cream parlor, talking and laughing, Cloud had shot a quick glance to Leon's hand. It was just curiosity, really. But why hadn't Leon taken his hand? The brunet loved having his hand in his, didn't he? So why hadn't he entwined their fingers together like he always did?

…Not that he /wanted/ to be held by Leon like that. Oh no, he was just curious.

However, Leon had taken his glance as disappointment, and quickly grabbed his hand. A scarce second later, Leon let go and before Cloud could register what was going on, Leon had wrapped his hand around his slim waist again.

It was embarrassing like hell, especially when the girls (Yuffie included) had squealed loudly, attracting everybody's attention. Tidus had wolf-whistled appreciatively with raised eyebrows, while Riku just grinned wolfishly.

"I really can't believe you sometimes, you know?" Yuffie sighed, her arms crossed as she hovered beside the blond. When he did not reply (not that she expected one, because it would be crazy to talk to a dead person in public), she reached out to pull her favourite spike of hair on Cloud's head, pouting when her hand passed through.

"Do you have /any/ idea just how many people would cry for joy if they felt Leon's hand on them for even /one/ measly second? You already know you want vanilla ice-cream, so just put that menu down already! Do some squeezing with your handsome boyfriend instead! Make the whole place jealous!"

_And get myself groped thoroughly in the process? I want to save my virginity for now, thank you very much._

Luckily, before Yuffie could launch into another speech to encourage Cloud to make out with Leon, a server had bounced over with a writing pad and pencil in his hand. Strangely enough, he looked like Cloud's long lost younger twin, except he had brown spiky hair instead of blond spiky hair.

"Hi, my name's Sora, and I'll be your server today! What will you be having?" he asked cheerfully, despite looking a little tousled like he had just escape from a scuffle earlier.

Riku smirked leeringly. "Can I have you?"

Cloud choked, dropping his menu to stare incredulously at the silver-haired boy. The others, however, were long used to Riku's tendency to flirt with the server, since the ice-cream parlor was one of their usual hangouts. Tidus merely rolled his eyes and muttered something about immaturity; Selphie giggled, along with Aeris; Leon was probably striking the cheesy pick-up line off his mental list. It obviously wasn't going to work for Cloud, if the wide-eyed look the blond was sporting was anything to go by.

Sora was unfazed. Instead, he offered a flirtatious smile and replied, "Well, that depends if you can come back at ten. That's when I knock off."

"I'll be back then. Shall we go for a late night movie? I heard there's this boring flick that's perfect for making o- owww!" Riku yelped when something hard hit his head unceremoniously, causing him to fall flat onto the table like a sack of potatoes. Rubbing the back of his head, he groaned, "Roxas? Is that you?"

Cloud blinked. Was the spiky hairdo in fashion this season? Because the server who had just arrived and currently standing beside Sora was sporting gravity-defying hair as well, though not quite as spiky as his own. Even more strangely, this blond server could pass off as Sora's twin, if he wasn't. However, it seemed that the two had very different temperaments, for where Sora had greeted Riku with a flirty smile, Roxas was scowling with a weapon –his tray, actually- in hand. And Cloud wondered if was it just him, or if that tray really did have a few dents in the center?

"You just enjoy letting me hit you with my tray, don't you? Because every time I see you, you're either groping or trying to seduce my younger brother," Roxas noted dryly, readying his tray just in case Riku tried anything funny again. "And you, Sora! How many times have I told you? Don't go too near to this lecher!"

Sora pouted, smoothing his hair and uniform that his brother had tugged on viciously earlier to prevent him from even going near Riku's table. It was a stroke of luck that a customer had called Roxas away that he got the chance to sneak over, but luck had only gotten him so far before his over-protective brother ruined his chances of getting laid again.

"Roxas, you don't just hit a customer like that!" A stray voice, coming somewhere from another section of the parlor, yelled out.

"You try having someone continually hit on your younger brother and see if you can resist decking the guy, Axel!" Roxas yelled back, irritated. Then, he turned back to glare daggers at Riku.

"Just let Roxas do what he wants, man! I mean, if this guy keeps coming back to our shop after getting decked like that, then it doesn't matter! As long as he keeps spending money here, that's what really matters!" Another server shouted across the shop as he busied himself with a few orders at the counter, loading them onto his tray.

"Thank you, Demyx! You hear that, Axel?"

"Demyx! For god's sake, don't encourage Roxas! What if he gives Riku a concussion?" Sora shouted in reply, moving closer to Riku to massage the bump on his head. "Want me to kiss it better?"

Before Riku could answer, Roxas' tray had found its way to his head again. Everything that had happened in the last few minutes happened all over again.

Cloud frowned. This was a strange ice-cream parlor with strange servers and even stranger work ethics. Then again, he couldn't deny the truth of their words. If a customer didn't mind being hit, then who was he to complain? Cloud just didn't know Riku was such a masochist. And a very stupid masochist at that, he decided, when he noticed the silver-haired boy sending a raspberry in Sora's direction in plain sight of everyone, only to be hit upside the head by Roxas' metal tray again.

Leon must have noticed his confusion, for he leaned over to explain.

"It's tradition. Riku always get hit in the head by Roxas' tray every time we come here."

"That's because Riku always try to flirt with Sora, and Roxas is highly protective of his brother. It almost reminds me of how a mother hen will try to protect her young chicks," Aeris added in a low whisper.

"I… see."

No, he didn't. But it really didn't matter, because that was when Sora had finally managed to chase Roxas away –many thanks to a group of female customers who demanded the hot, blond server to personally serve them- and started to take their orders. Riku was still nursing his head, groaning softly. But the silver-haired boy quickly perked up when Sora pressed a quick chaste kiss to his forehead to apologize in his brother's stead, and Cloud knew at that point that Riku would probably take a few more hits to the head willingly if Sora just kissed him afterwards.

Yuffie snickered.

" Leon sure is lucky you don't have a protective sibling around you. Then again, hitting the ice prince of Radiant High is a crime. You'd get mutilated by his fans, I'm sure."

_Having a protective sibling mutilated by Leon's fans is better than having a traitorous best friend like you, I'm sure. _

* * *

Cloud had to forcibly suppress an excited yell when Sora came over with their orders: an extra large banana split for Selphie and Tidus, an enormous sundae for Riku (he had a feeling Sora had given Riku a larger serving), a strawberry milkshake for Aeris, a long black coffee for Leon, and a plain double scoop of vanilla for himself. And it was all his. The thought made him want to drool. How long had it been since he last had a taste of his favourite treat?

Gingerly, he took one small teaspoon of vanilla ice-cream into his mouth. Sigh, heaven. It was neither too sweet nor was it too thin; it was perfect, and it melted richly in his mouth, leaving a delicious aftertaste that left him craving for more. He could never get enough of vanilla ice-cream. Happily, he ate a bit more, sighing blissfully and licking his lips.

"Wow, you make eating ice-cream look like some sort of luxury," Tidus commented casually, taking a bite of the banana.

"It is! Nothing is more luxurious than eating vanilla ice-cream like this!" Cloud replied, moaning contentedly when the ice-cream melted in his mouth. Little did he know, his moans were sending electrifying thrills down his boyfriend's body. Those thrills intensified when Cloud, spoon still in his mouth, turned around to Leon and nodded sharply at the brunet's choice of food.

"Why did you order coffee in an ice-cream parlor, anyway? You don't like ice-cream?"

"…I don't like sweet stuff."

Cloud raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

"Seriously? That's so sad! You don't know what you're losing out on. Vanilla ice-cream is like, the food of all food! I think I'd go crazy if I can't eat it anymore. I used to always have tubs of vanilla ice-cream at home, but then my mother thought it was too unhealthy so she's forbidden me from buying and storing them. It's been a while since I've eaten vanilla ice-cream since then," he replied offhandedly, then turned back to his ice-cream. He was so focused on enjoying every bit of it that he completely missed the /look/ in Leon's eyes.

"…Can I have some then? Just to see how it tastes like?"

The others all knew the brunet was up to something, from the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes. The last time Leon had that /look, he had intentionally bumped into the blond in the school corridor just so he could hear Cloud's voice, who assured him that it was alright because it was just an accident before running off. Leon was obsessed with Cloud, and whenever he had that look, he was up to some sort of plan to get closer to the blond.

However, Cloud didn't know Leon as well as they did, so he just agreed innocently to Leon's request. He was about to ask Sora for an extra spoon when he felt Leon take his hand with the spoon, scoop up a bit of the ice-cream, and feed it into Leon's waiting mouth. Cloud's eyes widened when the brunet licked /his/ spoon and polished off the remaining ice-cream, humming his approval softly.

"Not bad."

Cloud wasn't sure if Leon was referring to the ice-cream or something else entirely, and he quickly snatched his hand and spoon back, holding them to his chest protectively. He whimpered softly at the thought of his spoon and ice-cream being violated. And was Leon still gazing at his spoon longingly?

The others hid their smirks behind their hands, or in Tidus' case, behind the ice-cream as he quickly stuffed a spoonful of strawberry ice-cream into his mouth. Even Roxas and Sora, who were nearby, were coughing softly to hide their amusement. They'd never imagined the normally cold and standoffish Leon doing this sort of thing, and in public no less. Yuffie, on the other hand, had no qualms about showing how exactly she felt about Leon's actions. She alternated between giggling insanely and swooning at the romance flick unfolding right before her.

Still, she decided it wasn't enough. She drifted over to Cloud's side, leaning to whisper into his ear.

"You know, if you continue using that spoon, it's going to be your first indirect kiss with Leon…" she said in a singsong.

Cloud stiffened. Before he could call Sora over for a new spoon, however, Yuffie quickly added, "But if you change the spoon, you're going to hurt Leon's feelings. I mean, it'd be like… you can't stand something he's used before, so you're changing it. It can really hurt him, you know? And it's /just/ an indirect kiss…"

The blond stared at his spoon. The very same one Leon had licked just moments ago. If he continued using the utensil, it might give the brunet the wrong idea that Cloud didn't mind that little flirting, which could then lead to bigger things like an actual kiss. No! His first kiss was reserved for… for… someone, even if he still had no idea who. Leon was not his real boyfriend (then again, Cloud had no intentions of having a boyfriend, real or not), so Leon couldn't have his first kiss.

But then… Yuffie was right on both counts. If he changed the spoon, Leon could feel a little hurt. And if it was possible, Cloud wanted to end their whole relationship without hurting anyone. He didn't want to see that expression on Zack's face again.

He looked at the utensil again. It was just an innocent spoon. It was just something people used to eat ice-cream with. It was /just/ an indirect kiss. Cloud could brush the incident off, he was sure. After all, it was /just/ an indirect kiss.

So against his better judgment and internal alarm going bonkers with warning, Cloud scooped a little vanilla ice-cream and then, almost hesitantly, shoved it into his mouth. The ice-cream didn't taste any different, but somehow, Cloud thought there was an awkward but tangy relish afterwards. His heart was racing, his face was warming up, and he knew, for sure, that he was blushing to the very last spike of his hair.

Slowly removing the spoon from his mouth, he peered up from between his bangs. When he saw the tender smile on Leon's face, Cloud knew he was in for it. Stupid Yuffie! Stupid Yuffie for putting doubts in his mind! Stupid Yuffie for making him give Leon the wrong idea!

Behind him, said girl was cackling hysterically, wiping tears from her eyes. Silly Cloud! Silly Cloud for listening to her! Silly Cloud for probably arousing his boyfriend all on his own!

Leon was completely unaware of all the drama and evil laughter. Instead, he knew Cloud had accepted him again. Encouraged by his boyfriend's acceptance, he shifted his chair closer and took Cloud's hand with the spoon once more. Almost amused by the other's wide-eyed expression, he found himself enjoying the vanilla ice-cream even more, especially when Cloud froze. The look of utter disbelief in those azure eyes gave Leon the rarest urge to be playful and tease his boyfriend, so still holding onto the blond's hand, he popped the spoon back into his mouth and moaned softly. Gazing directly into Cloud's wide azure eyes, Leon's tongue shot out to caress the spoon again, and this time, it was sensual, slow, and suggestive, almost painfully so. At first, it was just the tip of his tongue, much like how a kitten would playfully lap at a bowl of warm milk. And then, Leon let his tongue drag across the entire spoon like he was licking a Popsicle clean. All the while, he never let his eyes leave Cloud's.

When Cloud's hand went limp, Leon chuckled under his breath.

"It tastes good, the ice-cream."

There was no reply. Not that he expected one. Riku had once told him that he had a strange ability to shock others into speechlessness sometimes, especially when he tried to be nice or sweet. Leon had scowled at that remark, but now, looking at his boyfriend, he had to admit Riku was right. Because right now, Cloud looked every bit like the proverbial deer in headlights, disbelief and shock swimming in his eyes, with a deep flush as an added bonus. And it made Cloud look utterly, utterly…

…beautiful.

Everyone held their breaths when they saw Leon leaning in to Cloud, whose eyes were wide and lips still parted from surprise. They groaned in disappointment when Leon merely licked the corner of Cloud's kissable lips before backing away slowly.

"There was ice-cream on your lips," the brunet said simply.

Cloud couldn't stop his hand from flying to his lips, the exact spot where Leon's tongue had brushed earlier. His heart was pounding so hard he was surprised it hadn't burst out of his chest; he could hear the blood rushing through his ears like a flash flood; his entire body was tingling as quick successions of electrifying sensation gushed within his every vein and awakened his every cell.

He had felt wanted. In that short moment, Cloud had felt wanted. And needed. And loved. No one had ever made Cloud felt this way.

…But he didn't want to be wanted, or needed or loved by another guy!

So he started to whimper inwardly again.

Yuffie, seeing this, rolled her eyes and quickly took control of Cloud's body so the blond could whimper as much as he wanted in the safe comforts of his own mind. She would have to keep the date going. Not that she really minded.

The rest of the afternoon went on fine, except when Riku had tried to ask Sora out again and Roxas happened to overhear everything. Needless to ask, Riku left the ice-cream parlor with another bump on his head.

* * *

Declining a ride from Leon was impossible. If the brunet offered you a ride, he would give you a ride, no matter what you said in protest.

So that was why despite unwilling to be in close proximity with Leon at the moment, Cloud was still getting home in the other's car.

And they were alone too, because the others had finally played enough gooseberries for the day and decided to leave their teasing of the couple for another day. Yuffie was still around, lounging in the backseat, but she was so quiet for the ride it was almost difficult to remember she was even there.

Before long, the car stopped outside of Cloud's house and the blond quickly got out, feeling awkward for being stuck in an enclosed space with Leon for as long as he had. Leon locked his car before nonchalantly following his boyfriend to the threshold, where he was waiting patiently.

Cloud had wanted to scamper inside his house and duck into his room as soon as possible, preferably without talking to Leon at all. But it would be so… rude to leave Leon, who had taken the time and effort to drive him home, standing outside the house like some unwanted puppy. So he forced himself to wait at the threshold, hands stuck into his pocket to fish for his keys but not yet opening the door. His mother was still at work, so Cloud did not want to unlock the door and risk having to invite Leon inside when there was nobody at home.

If Leon had no qualms about licking him in public, god only knew what he was capable of in private. And in a house with a fully furnished bedroom, no less.

Cloud suppressed a shiver.

"I'll come pick you up for school again tomorrow. But for now… I guess this is where I say goodbye," Leon said offhandedly, but he was running a hand through his hair again, a sign he was nervous.

"Yeah… I guess."

But neither made to move. Yuffie raised an eyebrow, and when she saw nothing happening, she sighed with a shake of her head. Too tired to spy on the couple, she floated back into Cloud's room and waited for them to sort out whatever was eating at them.

Leon was still rooted to where he was, making no moves to leave. And Cloud was just standing by the still locked door, unmoving as well, though he wasn't too sure why he couldn't just bring himself to turn away. It felt like something was about to happen, and if he turned away, he would never know what should have happened. And that feeling was strong enough to keep him there.

But he wasn't exactly patient enough for it.

" Leon, is there something else you want to tell me? Because otherwise, you really should be…"

He never got to finish that sentence.

Before he could register what was happening, he felt a hard tug on his hand that sent him propelling forward, and he was about to yelp instinctively when soft lips crushed down on his own, like successions of waves plunging heavily down onto the beach. Cloud felt his heart skip a beat, his eyes going unbelievably wide. Instinctively, he tried to break free but it was all for naught, because his arms were trapped against Leon's chest. When he tried to push the other away, he felt a tongue lapping roughly at his lips as arms snaked to his back to hold him closer.

Cloud's mind went instantly blank. He forgot to protest; he forgot to resist; he forgot to push the other away. No, all those thoughts had fled his mind the moment Leon's lips had covered his own and let that whirlwind of emotions bleed into the kiss. Instead, he melted, his knees buckled, his breathing stopped. And then, Leon's tongue swept into his opened mouth in a tantalizing caress, sending a bubbling delight down his entire body. He felt his whole world expand, enabling him to smell what he had never smelled before, see what he had never seen before, and feel what he knew he would never feel again. Then his world shrunk rapidly, and he forgot all those sensations, only remembering the existence of himself and that of the man kissing him.

It was a storm, the kiss. And what a storm it was.

Cloud felt his lips thoroughly seduced, possessively so, and it was more gratifying than stormy rain clouds triumph over a parched, dry desert. His nerves were tingling from the bolts of thunder streaking through, his blood was gushing through his ears so loudly like the howling of the wind, and his heart… his heart was pounding like the heavy rainfall beating on the scorched land.

He moaned, and he felt the other growl low, deepening the kiss for a moment more, arms wrapping around his waist a little tighter in desperation. Cloud's arms slipped free of their prison and pulled Leon closer, pulling their bodies flush together with no space between them.

And then it was over.

They parted, gasping for air to fill their burning lungs. Cloud was panting heavily, unconsciously grabbing fistful of Leon's shirt and leaning into the other. He wasn't sure what exactly had transpired, wasn't certain what precisely had happened; he only remembered his breath stolen, his lips plundered and ravished. It was a while later, when Leon began pressing short, chaste kisses to the top of his head affectionately, that his mind came back to him. And realization dawned on him like a punch in the face.

Cloud sprang away, hand flying to his slightly swollen lips, and gazed disbelievingly at the man who had just taken his first kiss. His mind was reeling. How could he have let that happen? How could he have let Leon take his first kiss, the very one he had wanted to share with the person he would fall in love with? But most of all, how could he have given in to the kiss so thoroughly and utterly? He felt his face set ablaze when he remembered how wanton and needy he had acted, clawing at the other's back.

Leon had been completely unprepared for Cloud's sudden jolt, so he had no time to react when the blond abruptly jumped out of his arms.

"Cloud?" His whisper was carried over the light breeze, and he took a tentative step forward.

His boyfriend was still looking away, hand covering his lips, and blushing. Leon took another tentative step.

When he was close enough, Leon gingerly gathered the other into his embrace, letting his chin rest on Cloud's head. Careful not to startle his boyfriend, Leon ran his hands down Cloud's back in what he hoped was a soothing manner. Cloud still wasn't responding. Leon sighed. It was time to apologize.

"Cloud… I know you told me this afternoon you aren't ready for our first kiss yet, but I… I'm sorry. When I saw you there, about to go into your house, I just… I just wanted to have you a little longer. I'm sorry… for… for forcing you."

There was that feeling again. He was feeling /wanted/ again. Cloud was feeling wanted again.

"But Cloud, I won't regret kissing you. I will never regret kissing you. Never."

Cloud felt himself pushed away gently. There was a light kiss on his forehead, and then Leon threw him a soft 'I'll see you tomorrow' and headed for his car. Only when he could no longer hear the roar of the engine and the screeching of the tires that Cloud stumbled into his house.

* * *

For the hundredth time, Yuffie wished she hadn't left the couple alone earlier. She had a feeling she had missed something really big, and Cloud wasn't about to tell her, no matter how much she pleaded or begged or whined or attempted to cry. Not when Cloud was currently flopped onto his bed like some spineless jellyfish. Worse still, even his spiky hair was a little limper than usual, having finally given in to the laws of gravity. It was not a pretty sight.

Now, Yuffie couldn't even find her favourite spike of hair and pull on it. Argh.

Just a few minutes ago, the blond had stumbled into the house in a daze, eyes unfocused and clothes slightly mussed. Before she could gave him the obligatory welcome home hug (and promptly pass through him like she always did), he staggered pass her, and fell facedown onto his bed unceremoniously when his knees came into sudden contact with the bed frame. He hadn't moved much since then.

It wasn't as though Yuffie couldn't guess what had happened outside. From Cloud's stupor, rumpled clothes and slightly swollen lips, it wasn't difficult to at least hazard a guess as to what Leon had done. But she wasn't going to jump to conclusions. Oh no, she wasn't. She was going to wait and let the truth spill out from Cloud himself, because she had long learned that it was a much more effective (and time-saving) way of getting Cloud to talk.

Her patience paid off a few minutes later.

"Yuffie?"

"Yeah?"

"Am I going crazy?"

She blinked. "What?"

"I enjoyed it… I actually liked it… I actually wanted to pull him closer when it ended… I actually liked it… I must be going crazy."

"Enjoyed what? Liked what?"

"…My first kiss."

Yuffie grinned. So she was right. Leon had kissed Cloud. And quite passionately at that, she surmised, to be able to put the blond in such a stupor. "Well, a lot of people enjoy their first kiss. Especially if they had their first kiss with a stud like Leon…" she trailed off suggestively.

That set Cloud off. Fuming, he pushed himself off his bed to glower at Yuffie, hoping that she would apologize. Or something. Anything. Anything to tell him that he was going crazy. He sought a confirmation, and he wanted it bad. But when she remained completely unfazed, blinking innocently and shooting angelic beams from behind her, Cloud knew she wasn't going to help. Growling in frustration, he took to pacing his room.

"It's impossible! Why would I enjoy kissing with Leon? It's not like I like him that way!"

"Sometimes, the body knows better than the mind."

"It's not possible!"

"Why not?"

"I don't like guys! I like girls, remember?"

"No, I don't, because I don't remember any specific girl you've ever expressed an interest in."

"You forgot Tifa then!" Cloud retorted heatedly, the image of the brunette girl surfacing in his mind. She had easily been the cutest girl in the neighbourhood, with long black hair and bright hazel eyes. But they had never been close, and Yuffie had never really gotten along with her either.

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "That was just a silly childhood crush. And I still don't understand why you liked her that much anyway. It wasn't like she was particularly nice to you. She was always hanging out with her group of friends, never stopped to talk to us, and she didn't even defend you when everyone accused you of causing her to fall off that dangly old hanging bridge. I mean, we all know the ropes just snapped. The ropes were so old I'm surprised it didn't snap earlier! And it wasn't like you got off easy; you fell down the ravine with her!"

"It was just scrapped knees and a mild concussion… Tifa fell into a coma for a whole week."

"Too bad she woke up from it."

"Yuffie!"

"What? Anyway, just strike Tifa's name off the list of people you like when we're trying to determine your sexuality. Childhood crushes don't count, okay?"

Cloud sighed, feeling extremely defeated. This was getting nowhere.

"To be serious, Cloud, how did you feel when you were… you know, being kissed? Hey, stop giving me that look! It's not like I'm looking for gossip material. Seriously! I need to know the erm, symptoms! Yeah, I need to know the symptoms so I know where the problem is. Even the best doctors can't cure you if they don't know what you're suffering from."

"…I felt… wanted. Like someone wanted only me and nobody else."

"Cloud…" Yuffie frowned. She only knew too well how it was to feel unwanted; it was a loneliness much like what the moon experienced. Poets and singers had been charmed by the moon's silver beauty for ages, but had they truly seen the moon for what it was? Alone in a huge cosmic vacuum, unable to provide for life or give off light, doomed to be scarred terribly when stray asteroids crashed into its surface. Yuffie remembered all those instances of seeing Cloud left alone in his house while his parents worked day and night to provide for the family, of how he tried to be independent so they could leave him alone without heavy hearts and how he always peered out of the windows looking forward to their return. And when Cloud had tried making friends with the boys, he had been teased for not being able to play football with them because his mother had begged him not to.

"I know mum loves and wants me, and dad did too… And…" –Cloud chuckled lightly- "seeing how you always hang around me, I guess you do too."

"Of course I do, Cloudster!"

Cloud arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, that and the fact that you love calling me weird but endearing names…"

She snickered.

"But sometimes, it's not enough. Maybe I'm being selfish or greedy, but I think I want someone else apart from you three. Not Leon, mind you! Just someone."

"Why not Leon, then? He loves you to itsy-bitsy bits! Everyone can see that."

"Because," -Cloud rolled his eyes- "for the ten thousandth time, I'm not gay! Simple as that!"

"Then why are you so hung up on the kiss?"

"That was my first kiss! And I lost it to a guy because you possessed me and made me confess to him! Yuffie, this is all your fault! I wouldn't have lost my first kiss to Leon if you hadn't possessed me in the first place! Oh gods…" It was as though the fact zapped away all his energy, Cloud fell back into his bed in a tired slump.

"But you enjoyed it."

"…Maybe he's just a good kisser."

Yuffie blinked. "Come again?"

"Maybe the reason why I liked that kiss so much was because Leon's a good kisser! Yeah, that must be it. There's no other explanation why a straight guy like me would enjoy that kiss!"

It was astonishing how many excuses people could find in their attempt to deny their sexuality, Yuffie thought. But this particular excuse did give her a chance for a good comeback. That, and a good chance for Leon to ravish Cloud again. She suppressed the urge to laugh maniacally and applaud her own brilliant mind, feeling like she was Leon's Good Samaritan.

"Well in that case…" –she peered at Cloud to judge his reaction- "I think it'd be fair if you let him kiss you again so you can judge if he really is a good kisser."

Cloud's jaw dropped, and he immediately shot up, the springs in his bed creaking loudly in protest at the sudden movement. "What?"

She pouted. "But Cloudster! You've never been kissed by anyone before, so how can you tell if Leon is a good kisser? And since I doubt you want to be kissed by other guys, I'd say the best thing to do right now is let Leon kiss you again! If you still feel good after that, that means Leon /is/ a good kisser, and you wouldn't have to worry about your sexuality!"

There was something innately wrong with Yuffie's argument, but Cloud couldn't exactly put a finger on what was off with it. He just knew he was getting a huge headache, and anything could be solved tomorrow. Right, tomorrow. So Cloud crawled under his blankets and went to sleep, dinner be damned. His mum would just wake him up when she got back from work anyway.

Yuffie just let him nap. After all, she had planted the seed, and it was time to watch it grow. She snickered.

* * *

Morning rays peeked into his room just when his alarm clock went off. Cloud slapped the thing half-heartedly, taking a deep breath when the shrill cries ceased. His hand slithered back under the warm cocoon of his covers, and he was tempted to just go back to sleep. After all, he hadn't gotten much sleep last night. There were just too many thoughts racing over each other to get his attention and too many swirling ideas begging for his deeper contemplation, that it was pretty much impossible to sleep.

Hesitantly, Cloud touched his lips again. A blush invaded his face when the memories of his first kiss attacked his mind and refused to leave.

And Leon's warm grey eyes were gazing at him again, peeking at him beneath those long, wispy brown bangs.

Cloud sighed.

He had never noticed Leon's chiseled good looks before, so why was he starting now? But as much as he tried to forgot, he found it getting increasingly impossible to do so. His arms could still feel Leon's strong, muscular body, his nose could still sniff Leon's unique scent of peppermint and vanilla, his lips could still remember the warmth and pliability of Leon's lips, gently coaxing his own open. Worst, his eyes could still see the longing and tenderness in Leon's eyes.

Cloud shook his head. Throwing off the covers, he went into the bathroom to wash up. He had to be quick if he wanted to leave the house before Leon even arrived.

But it was a plan nipped in the bud when he went downstairs and found the brunet sitting in the kitchen, smiling awkwardly as his mother piled pancake upon pancake on a plate before him. Cloud rubbed his eyes in terror; surely, he couldn't have seen what he just saw, could he? Leon was having breakfast in his house with his mother? What the-?

Yuffie choked on her saliva, and then she just started to laugh hilariously, arms clutching her stomach as peals of laughter broke out of her mouth.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this! Ha ha… Seeing how jumpy you were last night, Cloud, it really doesn't take a… ha ha… genius to know you would try to sneak off early! Ha ha… So it seems that Leon has… ha… taken precautions against it! Damn but he's good! Oh poor Cloud! You're not gonna get out of his eeevil clutches so easily!" she said through her laughter, rolling in the air, insane with mirth.

Cloud's eyebrow twitched; his fists ached to strangle something. Couldn't she have said anything about it last night?

Before he could try and sneak back upstairs for Plan B (whatever that was), his mother's cerulean eyes lit up and she waved.

"Oh, morning honey! Look who's here to pick you up for school?"

_Someone I don't really want to see right now, that's who. _

Leon looked up at that moment, stormy grey eyes unreadable. There was a measure of irritation, some hurt, and then the rest of it… Cloud couldn't decipher. But at that moment, framed by locks of wispy brown bangs, Leon's eyes looked predatory and dangerous. A lion, Cloud surmised. A fitting metaphor for someone who seemed so attached to his lion pendent.

Grey and azure met and locked, each having their own hidden agendas and trying to will the other to give in. Eventually, Cloud sighed and trudged towards the kitchen.

"Morning mum. Morning Leon," he mumbled, throwing his book bag on the empty chair beside him. He fixed Yuffie with a glare –discreetly, of course- when the girl floated up to him and 'sat' on his book bag. She was still giggling at the turn of events.

"Oh honey, I can't believe you never told me you had such a good friend like Leon! And you didn't even tell me he was coming early to pick you up today! Thank goodness I was up early this morning, or the poor boy would still be sitting outside our porch waiting for you! Come Leon, have some hot tea and pancakes to warm yourself up! You haven't had breakfast yet, have you?" Mrs. Strife said as she walked around the kitchen fixing the boys breakfast. "Honey, how many pancakes do you want? Oh, and do you want maple syrup or honey?"

"Mum, don't you have to work later? You should be sleeping now!"

"I'll be fine, honey," she replied sweetly, looking every bit like the loving mother that she was. "Now, maple or honey?"

"Maple will do, mum."

"What about you, Leon?"

If there was one consolation about the morning for Cloud, it was seeing how awkward Leon was behaving with his mother. The brunet had a sort of wild bunny look to him, like he was feeling disoriented in the midst of a pack of wolves and not quite sure which direction he should run to. Not that his mother was a wolf, of course. She was a lamb, in Cloud's opinion. Meek, cute, cuddly and sweet. Too bad Leon didn't see her the same way. Then again, he probably felt like it was some sort of practice before he really had a meal with his future mother-in-law.

Cloud scoffed inwardly. That was never going to happen.

"…Maple is fine. Thank you, Mrs. Strife."

"Just call me Eleanor, dear. Now, here you go! Maple syrup for your pancakes! Go on and help yourself."

"See? What did I tell you before?" Yuffie chirped gleefully from the side. "Told you Leon's got your mother enamored. Now, doesn't this just feel like you just brought your boyfriend home to meet your mother?"

Cloud swiped irately at the side, mumbling something about a stupid, pesky fly when his mother shot him a concerned look. Yuffie snorted indignantly; she was not stupid, damn it! Maybe she was pesky, but she definitely wasn't stupid!

Cloud gave her snorts no heed. Instead, he focused on polishing his breakfast off. If he had to deal with Leon again, which he knew he had to, he would have to be at full strength to handle what was coming. Already, Cloud could feel the comings of an argument, because contrary to what Leon thought, there was no way to miss the heated looks he was sending his way.

Apparently, his mother felt the same way.

"Boys, did you two have an argument yesterday? You haven't talked to one another the entire morning! And my baby Cloud was in such a daze the whole of last night! Gosh, I had so such trouble persuading him to eat dinner!"

"No mum, it's just…"

"Or is it some sort of boy thing, that you don't talk to your friend in front of your mother? Oh dear gosh… I suppose I should really leave you two alone to talk, shouldn't I?"

"Mum… it's not that…"

"I have to work in the afternoon shift, so I guess I should be headed back to bed anyway. Boys, you two have a nice chat, alright? It's not good to argue with your friends, really! All that teenage angst can make you unhealthy, you know? Just apologize to one another if you have to, and clear things up. Oh, and honey? Remember what your dad and I always taught you! Hugs and kisses are the cure to an argument!"

"Mum!"

"And Leon, forgive my baby if he's been mean to you. My baby isn't always very sociable, so if he's made you mad, please do forgive him. Take care of my baby in school, alright? And it was nice having you for breakfast! Drop by again! And just ring the doorbell if you're early! I wouldn't want you to catch a cold waiting outside! Don't worry about the dishes! Just put them in the sink and I'll take care of them! Bye honey, bye Leon!" Eleanor was upstairs by the time she finished, followed quickly by the slam of a bedroom door.

Silence. Except for Yuffie's impressed whistle, that is.

Cloud rubbed his temples. His mother was a lamb alright; a meek, cute, cuddly, sweet and manipulative lamb.

Leon was staring at the stairs where Eleanor had disappeared to with raised eyebrows.

* * *

The two eventually finished breakfast in awkward silence before heading out of the house. There had been a bit of an idle chat, but neither revealed much about what they were thinking apart from the weather and a little school work.

Cloud slid into the passenger's seat quietly, and once he did, started to peer out of the window. Anywhere but look at Leon's direction. But when he noticed that the car remained unmoving for an oddly long amount of time, he turned warily.

"Cloud… are you still mad about last night?" Leon's eyes were still unreadable, but there was an almost hidden tightness to his jaws that gave a measure of his emotions away. His grip on the steering wheel stiffened when Cloud did not give him a reply. "Cloud…" his voice was softer now, sounding almost pleading if it wasn't Leon.

"I'm… not really mad," the blond answered. _Not at you, at least._ "It's just… it just feels strange to me, even until now."

The tension that had been wrecking Leon's body seeped out like water in a net, and he allowed a small smile to tug at his lips. Forgetting about the steering wheel for the moment, he turned in his seat to face his boyfriend. Carefully so as not to startle Cloud, Leon took the blond's hand, letting his thumb slowly caress and touch it. He was, in Cloud's eyes, almost worshipping the hand.

"Thank you."

Cloud felt his heart skip a beat at the charming smile, a blush creeping up his face. For the first time, he was starting to understand why Leon had so many fans, despite his scowls. Just one smile was enough to erase the memory of thousands of scowls, he was sure. It was beautiful. His blush deepened, and Cloud chided himself inwardly. He didn't like guys that way, remember? Realizing belatedly how his reactions would look like to the other, Cloud quickly averted his gaze.

"You… You're welcome. Let's just get to school now or we'll be late."

"We can just tell the teachers that you're giving me ideas…"

" Leon?" Blush.

"…ideas that can help further my studies and projects."

It was surreal to have Squall Leonhart joke about anything, really. Cloud reached for his own forehead, surprised to find that he was not burning up and hence not hallucinating. Behind them both, Yuffie had fallen off the seat. In fact, she had fallen through the car entirely to hit the tarmac below.

Shaking his head to get rid of the headiness, the blond gestured to the steering wheel. "Let's just get to school now."

But Leon was still gazing at him, making no attempts at starting the car. Instead, Leon pointed to his side.

"Seatbelt."

Cloud blinked, turning to his side. Oh yeah, he had forgotten all about fastening his seatbelt. His mother would have reprimanded him for being so careless. _Do you know how many people in the world die from automobile accidents every year, honey? Do you want to become a statistic?_ Cloud frowned at the thought of his mother lecturing him on safety again. It was a topic that she wouldn't stop once she got started. When he tried pulling on seatbelt, however, the thing refused to budge. He struggled with it for a while before Leon offered to help.

"Let me."

Leon unfastened his own seatbelt, leaned over and gave Cloud's a light tug. As impossible as it sounded, it was as though the seatbelt could recognize its owner, because once Leon tugged on it, it was working perfectly. Or maybe the seatbelt just didn't like the blond.

Cloud pouted, an action people had always told him made him look unbearably cute. And it was the wrong moment to look cute, because Leon was still hovering over him to fix the seatbelt, their faces in close proximity to one another's. If one were to peer in from outside the car, one would think the couple was kissing again, but within the car, Cloud was thanking god for the few centimeters that still separated their lips. He gulped when Leon didn't move away, instead choosing to look into his eyes.

Leon's eyes were smoldering, gazing deep within him.

Warily, the blond started to reach out, ready to push the other away. He had already lost his first kiss to Leon; he was not interested in losing more.

_"But Cloudster! You've never been kissed by anyone before, so how can you tell if Leon is a good kisser! And since I doubt you want to be kissed by other guys, I'd say the best thing to do right now is let Leon kiss you again! If you still feel good after that, that means Leon /is/ a good kisser, and you wouldn't have to worry about your sexuality!" _

He paused. Leon was still gazing unwaveringly into his eyes, those grey eyes whipping up a wicked storm in his heart. He had to know the truth.

Hesitantly, he set his hands on Leon's shoulders. Leon's shallow breathing quickened, his irises dilating, his eyes darkening with a swirl of emotions. Cloud felt his own breaths getting deeper, a headiness settling into him and his lashes drooping to caress his cheeks. Slowly, carefully, he pulled Leon down.

Leon was quick to take the hint. Letting go of the seatbelt, which quickly retracted and hit the side of the car with a dull 'clang', he closed the distance between their lips. He paused for a short moment when they could both feel each other's warm breaths, their lips barely touching. Swallowing, Leon took the plunge, swooping down to take Cloud's lips. Nibbling softly on the soft lips, Leon felt his heart beat faster when Cloud's arms snaked to his nape, and then his fingers wove into his hair. He prodded his boyfriend's mouth open with tentative licks, his hands whispering across Cloud's thighs. When Cloud gasped in surprise, he took the chance and quickly slipped his tongue inside.

Cloud wasn't sure what to do with his hands at first. Where did one put their hands when they were kissing? But the answer came to him naturally when Leon started to bite softly on his lips, and his hands slid up Leon's hair by their own accord. Leon did not protest, so he guessed he had put them at the right place. Cloud moaned softly into the kiss when it turned rougher, but not rough enough to hurt him. He had a feeling Leon would never hurt him intentionally.

Leon was slowly but surely exploring every inch of Cloud's mouth. He was an explorer trekking across virgin lands, and he would not rest until he had uncovered every rock, every stone, every grain of sand. He would be the first and only man to map out the new world.

There was no desert storm in Cloud's mind this time, but instead, there was a calm tranquility settling over his heart. It was so strange; the last time they had kissed, Cloud had felt himself thrown into the midst of a raging storm that grasped his heart and refused to let go. This time, however, he thought he was in an oasis. The water was lapping gently at his body like curious little puppy licks, warm, soft and tender. The sun was kissing him playfully, the wind was whispering their caress across his face, and the grains of sand were flowing through his fingers… It made him feel safe, calm and…

…free.

Slowly, hesitantly, he pushed his tongue against Leon's timidly, and he was completely unprepared for the overwhelming surges of pleasure that spiked through his body when Leon deepened the kiss, moaning gently. Cloud pulled Leon closer.

When they parted, Cloud released a soft sigh. He opened his eyes, and the first things he saw were Leon's storming pools of grey, the fire within subsiding but still present. Giving in, Cloud allowed his eyes to flutter close again and tilted his head slightly upward.

Leon dove in for another languid kiss, this time considerably shorter and chaster. And another. And another.

With one final peck, Leon fell back into his seat, breathing deeply. Giving his boyfriend a contented smile, he started the car and drove off.

Cloud was finally certain that he had either gone crazy, or was well on the road to insanity. Not only had he allowed the other to kiss him so many times, he had also been the one to initiate the kisses in the first place. How was he supposed to convince Leon that his 'confession' yesterday had been due to a stray spirit's possession, now that he had done such a stupid and suggestive thing? The upside to this little episode, though, was that he could finally conclude that Leon was an /awfully/ skilled kisser. So maybe it really wasn't his sexuality that was having a problem. It was just because Leon was a really good kisser. A very, very good kisser. Cloud felt his face burning up as he raised a hand to touch his lips in amazement.

He continued to repeat that revelation (and hence reassurances of his own sexuality) in his mind like it was some holy mantra as Leon drove them both to school.

Yuffie wiped off the perspiration off her forehead. Man, was it getting hot in the car earlier… Those two had kissed so passionately it even made /her, the great kendo-master Yuffie, blush! Vaguely, she wondered what Cloud was thinking of right now.

Then again, it really didn't matter. If he still wasn't convinced that he was quickly falling in love with Leon and that he had always batted for the other team, good ol' Yuffie would help him wrap his mind around the idea.

…And scare herself crazy in the process. Was Squall "Ice Prince" Leonhart humming along a non-existent radio?

-tbc-

**Teaser for next chapter**: In which Seifer poses a threat for Cloud's affections, Yuffie considers applying for a counseling job, Leon baits Cloud with more vanilla ice-cream, and Cloud learns to enjoy Leon's kisses.

A/N: I finally set up my **livejournal account**, so visit me there! The link is on my biopage. As many of you are no doubt aware of, ff . net has banned a lot of things recently. Therefore, anything I write that cannot be posted here will be posted there instead, so it will be a good idea to check my lj from time to time. XD

Secondly, I have started a **series of ficlets and drabbles **that explain events and backstories for _**Vanilla, **_to be posted in a few more days. The series is called _**Vanilla Souffle**_, and it will be posted in a few more days. Please lend your support there too! Anyway, you are welcomed to tell me what sort of events you want to see in _Vanilla Souffle_. Like, you can tell me that you want to see Cloud and Leon's first ever interaction in school (it's being written, actually). Just drop me a note in the reviews, and if I get an inspiration, I'll write it.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Vanilla part 4

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: LxC

Warnings: AU, romance, sap, fluff, humour, OOC-ness

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to lay claim to Cloud, I'm kinda scared of Leon's gunblade. So well, I don't own Kingdom Hearts and its character, and neither do I own the various Final Fantasies and their characters.

Note: This fic is inspired by the Japanese manga _Eerie Queerie_. And this fic's theme song is Gackt's _Vanilla_. /sniggers/

Summary: Cloud's only friend, Yuffie, had just died a few weeks ago. However, Yuffie can't move on to the next world and so she follows Cloud around in his daily life. And she just can't resist the opportunity to play the finest prank on Cloud by possessing his body and confessing to someone... LxC

* * *

"Cloud?"

The blond peered over his shoulder, and when he noticed it was Ms. Trepe, he quickly spun around. He winced when a few stray sheets of paper slid off the pile he had in his arms. It was horrible, really. Why had he volunteered to be the subject representative for physics? Right, because Yuffie had been continuously yapping in his ears that it was unhealthy to be so closed-off from his classmates, and he eventually took up the crappy post to stop her from nagging. If only he had known how much Mr. Highwind, their physics teacher, loathed administrative work then…

"Erm, yes, Ms. Trepe?" he asked, cautiously adjusting the load in his arms.

The young teacher was smiling faintly, and with a resigned but amused smile, bent down to pick up the papers that had slipped away earlier. Setting them back into the pile, she gave them a soft pat, like she was asking them to be good and stay there.

"Be careful, Cloud. It's very problematic if you drop all these papers and have to sort through them again," –Cloud winced at that thought- "Anyway, are you almost done with Cid's paperwork?"

"Yes, I just need to deposit them back at his table and find a good paperweight."

"Just use his packet of cigarettes. That way, he'll never forget about this pile of papers," Ms. Trepe said in jest, to which Cloud responded with a wholehearted nod. Mr. Highwind's cigarette consumption rate was legendary in the school, and everybody knew about it. The school's nurse always used him as an example for potential lung cancer and warned the students against smoking.

"Anyway, Cloud… if you are free after this, could you help me deliver a message to Coach Auron? Tell him that the headmaster wants to see him as soon as possible, preferably now. I would go personally if I could, but I'm having a little trouble with a student…. who's supposed to meet me right now, speaking of which…" She glanced at her watch.

Cloud really hated to step foot into the teachers' staffroom, because whenever he did, he was immediately labeled as free labour. But this was Ms. Trepe, and she was a nice teacher, not to mention a school counselor. That probably explained why she had to meet a student now. Radiant High had its fair share of problematic students.

"Sure, no problem."

Her eyes lit up in gratitude. "Thank you, Cloud. Coach Auron should be at the school gymnasium. That's where the kendo club always has their practices. Oh, Coach Auron is the kendo club's coach, if you didn't know. Remember to tell him that the headmaster wants to see him ASAP, preferably right now. If he asks why, just say that it's some administration stuff that shouldn't take too long to sort out."

Cloud nodded obediently, though he was a little flustered inwardly. In a few minutes, he had already returned the mountain of finished paperwork to Mr. Highwind – whose cigarette had fallen out of his opened mouth when he saw the amount of papers had to sign and approve - and was on his way to the gymnasium. He hoped to get that last part over and done with as soon as possible, not because he wanted to head home but rather, of all people to deliver a message to, it had to be the coach for the kendo team! And Leon was the captain of the kendo team! He couldn't believe it. After successfully avoiding Leon's repeated attempts to ask him out for the weekend, Cloud couldn't believe he had to walk all the way to see Leon and risk hearing those requests again.

Leon was a really nice person to hang out with, really. He was doting, caring, kind, and a whole lot of other adjectives that Cloud would never have imagined could apply to Leon before really getting to know him as an individual. Before this, attaching labels like 'sweet', 'adorable' and 'mother-hen' on the ice prince of Radiant High was completely unimaginable. Everyone had put him on a high pedestal, calling him cool, cold and withdrawn. And he still acted that way most of the time to people he didn't know well, but once it came to Cloud, Leon was anything but cold.

Cloud could testify to that fact, having already spent two weeks as Leon's boyfriend. Two weeks with Leon doting endlessly on him like he was a glass-spun child, but the blond wasn't complaining. It felt nice to have someone caring so much for once. But…!

If only he would keep his hands to himself!

In the two short weeks since Cloud's 'confession', Leon had already settled into a routine of holding his hands or waist whenever they were walking together, picking him up for school and sending him home whenever possible, and subtly demanding good morning and good night kisses. What was more, Leon was making good on Yuffie's promise of at least one date per week, so they had gone out together for movies, quiet dinners, walks in the park and all those things couples did together. As of yet, most of their dates were pretty laidback, like Leon wanted him to get used to the idea of their relationship first before plunging into something more intimate. The most they had done was going for a swim together, and Cloud had felt himself go red enough to explode when Leon wouldn't stop checking him out at the pool.

He sighed.

"It's fate, I tell you," Yuffie piped up as she floated after him. "As much as you run from your dearest boyfriend, all things lead right back to him in the end. No escaping it this time. And I didn't even possess you to agree to a date! Fate is such a beautiful thing." She snickered.

"Too beautiful for me," Cloud snapped in return, ignoring Yuffie's chortles and constant spinning in the air. When a girl passing by in the corridor stared at him for talking to himself (because no one could see Yuffie apart from Cloud), he sent her his scariest glare and she quickly scampered away.

Like what Ms. Trepe said, the kendo team was indeed in the gymnasium. Cloud could already hear the spirited shouts as the team sparred against one another, the sounds of their bamboo swords clashing in their swift and deadly dances. Radiant High's male kendo team was always a sight to behold during their practices, and being the reigning high school champion for three-years running had only added to their appeal. Hence, it was little wonder why the members were always popular with the girls, and every girl (and sometimes every boy too) hungered for a piece of them like savage vultures.

But at that moment, Cloud wanted nothing more than to run away from the lot of them. Well, mostly Leon, but the blond had a nasty feeling that from the general rowdiness of the boys, letting one member see him would result in the entire team become aware of his existence. Stalking outside the partially closed doors of the gymnasium, Cloud pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to think of a solution.

Option A: Go ninja and attempt to stealthily rely the message to the kendo coach. But Cloud was a natural klutz, especially when he /needed/ to be stealthy. Murphy's Law never loved someone as thoroughly as Cloud.

Option B: Run in, shout the message, and quickly scamper off before anyone could catch him. But that was so… rude. And there was the possibility of Cloud slurring up the words in his anxiety and the coach wouldn't get his message after all that trouble.

Option C: Head to the drama club first and borrow a disguise. But Yuffie had gleefully pointed out the possibility of the drama club attempting to cross-dress him and send him straight to Leon anyway. After all, anything was possible with crazed fan girls and that possibility was amplified tremendously with Yuna, Rikku and Paine at the helm of the drama club.

He briefly contemplated ditching his task and just leave, but he really didn't want to get into trouble with one of his favourite teachers. Besides, as nice as Ms. Trepe was, she was not one to trifle with. The last time a student had tried to bail out on her, it ended with a broken limb, a lot of blood (okay fine, it was a lot of red paint and relatively little blood, but the other was the version the rumor-mill preferred) and a strict warning. So… what to do, what to do?

That was when Yuffie popped back out of the gymnasium, having finished the recon job Cloud had sent her on. Dusting imaginary dust off her clothes, she landed back on the ground.

"So how's the situation inside?"

"You're making this whole thing sound like some army mission, you know that?" Yuffie sighed, and when there was no response to that, she rolled her eyes. "Fine. The male kendo team's practicing, and the girls are having a meeting near the other end of the gymnasium. Coach Auron is somewhere in the center, walking around and checking on the boys."

Damn, that just effectively scrapped off options A and B. It was too far to do stealth or shout a message. Cloud really didn't want to have to resort to option C…

"Oh, and just in case you want to know, Leon is in the row closest to the entrance, which is where we are. Cool, isn't it? Makes it easier for Leon to escape practice and come here to make out with you," Yuffie teased. She scrunched her face when Cloud made an irritated swipe at her. Seriously, when would Cloud get it into his head that there was no way out of his relationship with Leon unless he came out and stated outright he wanted to end it? Yuffie was sure that the blond would never get the nerves or the heart to do that though. He was just much too sweet.

And too prone to anxiety, she surmised, if he was already freaking out at seeing Leon at his kendo practice. Sighing, she added, "There's a guy on break at the benches just beside the door. Maybe you could, you know, pass the message through him."

Cloud never thought his best friend would so willingly provide him with option D, and he was willing to take anything if it meant he didn't have to do option C.

"What's his name?"

"Hmm… I think it's Zidane. You know that blond kid who always ties his hair into a small ponytail and flirting with anything with two legs as long as they're cute enough? Yeah, that's him."

Cloud nodded, and quickly scampered over to the edge of the door. Peering in warily, he quickly spotted the boy sitting at the bench just as Yuffie had said, sipping from a mineral bottle and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His kote (1) and sword had already been abandoned by the side.

"Hey, Zidane!" Cloud whispered.

The boy looked around in confusion.

"Over here, Zidane!"

His eyes widened for a second before he surreptitiously scooted over to where Cloud was. Zidane threw him a disarming smile and said, "Hey, you're Cloud, aren't you? Leon's boyfriend? Oh, I saw that notice Riku and Tidus stuck all over the school. In fact, I helped them put some up in the staff lounge too! So what are you doing here?"

Cloud had to resist the impulse to just deck the idiot. He succeeded after a moment with much help from Yuffie's urges to calm down. Taking a deep breath, he finally replied, "Well, I have a message for your coach. From Ms. Trepe. The headmaster wants to see your coach ASAP, preferably right now. Think you can help me tell him?"

"Sure thing. Anything to help a cutie like you."

The blond's fists were so tightly clenched his knuckles had rapidly turned white.

"But!" Zidane pouted, looking strangely cute for someone in kendo armour and a sword by his side. "I've passed fake messages to our coach before, so he's not likely to believe me, especially if it's a message that says he's needed elsewhere. He'll just think I'm kidding him and thwack me on the head with his sword. So why don't I bring the coach over and you tell him the message yourself?"

Cloud sighed. His plans of running off immediately after this were dashed, that was for sure. Still, it couldn't be helped that the only person who could help him now was a boy who had cried wolf. So he nodded.

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Alrighty. I'll go find our dear coach right now." Zidane pushed himself off the bench, pulling his kote on before bending down to grab his sword. "You stay right here, alright?"

"I will. Thanks."

"No problem, sweetie." Zidane gave him a small wink before running off into the rows upon rows of people practicing.

Cloud continued to half hide himself behind the door, much to Yuffie's amusement. She wondered how he would react if he found out that there was an odd temptation about his position, his behind almost wiggling in the air. Oh, she could already imagine Leon's blush and the predatory look in his grey eyes.

The blond was, however, unaware of all that. Instead, he was still peering intently inside the gymnasium, trying to see if the coach had gotten the message. The man did after a few moments, and began walking towards him. Zidane gave Cloud a thumbs-up and quickly followed the coach, falling into step just behind him. The others continued practicing.

Cloud quickly stood upright when the coach got closer, and he gulped. Apart from Leon, this guy was one of the reasons why he didn't want to go inside the gymnasium. Coach Auron was well-known in the school for not accepting tardiness and very proficient in kendo. That combination, Cloud thought, was deadly. He shuddered.

"Oh, don't worry. Coach Auron is a nice guy," Yuffie comforted him softly. But on second thoughts, she added, "I think."

"Thanks!" Cloud hissed.

"No problem, Cloudy-kins!"

Fortunately for Yuffie, the coach was already in front of Cloud, so the blond couldn't make another wild swipe at her. She floated up to the ceiling as she whistled innocently.

"Zidane said you had a message for me." The voice was very deep, fitting for a man who personified the word 'intimidating'. Staring down at Cloud, he suddenly seemed so much taller.

"Yes sir. Erm, Ms. Trepe asked me to pass the message to you. She says that the headmaster wants to see you as soon as possible, preferably right now. It's about some administration stuff, I think. And Ms. Trepe said that it shouldn't take too long."

The coach sighed, shaking his head. "They always say that. In my opinion, their definition of 'not too long' doesn't match up with what I have in mind," –he turned to Zidane- "Tell the team to take a fifteen minute break. If I'm not back by then, get Leon to round up the boys and go through the katas again." He raised an eyebrow when the cheerful blond mock-saluted. Sighing, he walked down the corridors after throwing a brief gratitude to Cloud.

Cloud was about to sneak off for home when he felt a hand dart out to grab his wrists, wrapping around tightly like they were some bracelets. Before he could react, he was already being pulled into the gymnasium amidst Yuffie's laughter. He nearly slammed into the person pulling him when the person suddenly stopped.

"Hey boys! Coach has a meeting right now, so he wants us to take a fifteen minute break! And Leon, look who's here to see you!"

Cloud nearly wept. After all his careful planning to avoid Leon, Zidane actually pulled him inside like he was some rare, exotic breed of animal that should be put up for exhibition. He could already feel everybody's line of sight flying to him, and he cringed inwardly. A hole in the ground swallowing up him right now would be good, if just to spare him from all the curious looks. Ever since hooking up with Leon, Cloud had often found himself the object of stares and gazes, but no matter how many times it happened, he was never going to get used to the sudden attention and interest people were paying to him. He fidgeted uncomfortably.

Ironically, Leon was the one who made that discomfort fade away, simply because he was one of the very few people Cloud actually knew on the kendo team. When the brunet (and Riku, who had been his sparring partner earlier) got close enough, Zidane threw him a wink and quickly scurried off to his friends.

Before Cloud could come up with an excuse and escape the potentially awkward meeting, Riku had already beaten him to the punch.

"Woah, didn't know you had it in you, man! Tricking our coach away so you can come inside and snuggle up to your boyfriend!" the silver-haired boy joked, removing his helmet as he did so. He laughed, as did Yuffie, when Cloud burned up hotly.

"I… I didn't do that! There really is a message for your coach! Honest!"

"Right, message. Right." The tone didn't sound convinced at all.

"I'm serious, Riku!"

"Yes, yes, perfectly serious, I know." His snickering really didn't help, nor did Yuffie's.

Cloud pouted.

"Stop teasing Cloud, Riku. He's blushing enough as it is." It was Leon, who had finally come up to stand beside his boyfriend.

Riku arched an eyebrow. "But…" –he blinked innocently- "didn't you just tell me earlier that Cloud looks really cute when he blushes? Oh no, I must have heard wrongly."

Both Leon and Cloud blushed heatedly. Curiously, Cloud peered to his side, and sure enough, even Leon was looking flustered. A surge of headiness and satisfaction flooded his mind, but he quickly pushed them away like they were the plague. There was no reason why he should feel happy that Leon thought he looked cute. Most definitely not.

"…Whatever, Riku. Erm, Cloud?"

"…Yes…?" He gulped, having a pretty good idea what was coming now, and his worst fears were confirmed by the intense look on Leon's face, the same look he had worn when he tried asking Cloud out that very morning.

"Let's go out tomorrow. There's this place I want to bring you to. And don't change the topic this time."

Oh, busted. So Leon did notice all the times Cloud had diverted their conversation to a safer topic. He laughed nervously.

"But Leon, I have a lot of assignments this weekend. I… I have to finish everything, and… and I… I'll be too tired to go out after that!"

"We have the same classes, but I don't recall having that many assignments. It's nothing you can't finish in a night."

"Well, I don't have your brains…"

A sigh. "Cloud, it's just for the afternoon. I'll send you home by evening."

Leon was just short of saying 'please', but that was a plea enough. Cloud frowned, feeling guilt tugging at his heartstrings again. He had to admit: he certainly wasn't spending a lot of time with Leon outside of school, always putting their dates off as much as he could, and Leon was no doubt feeling unhappy about it. But it would seem really strange if Cloud went out with Leon everyday and then suddenly asking for a breakup, wouldn't it? And that was, after all, his ultimate goal.

Then again… he didn't want to hurt Leon. Zack's crestfallen face surfaced in his mind again, and Cloud bit his bottom lip.

Hovering beside him, Yuffie was about to explode with impatience. Why wouldn't the stubborn little blond just agree? It was just a date, for god's sake! A date with a very attractive boyfriend, in fact! So what was Cloud unsatisfied with? She readied herself to possess her friend and send him on a happy little date with Leon. And maybe, she'd even suggest that Leon spend the night at Cloud's place! Now that would really teach Cloud to reject Leon, she smirked.

However, the appearance of a fourth person halted her plans.

"Aw, looks like your boyfriend doesn't love you all that much after all, Leonhart."

Leon's head snapped to the right, and when he saw who it was, his eyes narrowed instantly, as did Riku's.

Cloud just blinked at the newcomer, who was also dressed in the traditional kendo armour sans the helmet. He would recognize those icy-blue eyes and self-satisfied smirk anywhere, not to mention that pale scar that ran down between his eyes. "Seifer? Is that you?"

"Cloud, you know this guy?" Riku asked incredulously. Seifer was easily one of the most arrogant people Riku had ever had the misfortune of knowing, and he never talked to anybody he did not deem worthy of his attention. While Riku meant no offense, he had to admit that Cloud had never been the most well-known student around before dating Leon, so there was no way Seifer would have noticed him. The only plausible reason would be that Cloud had been a target of Seifer's taunting and bullying, but Cloud didn't seem… scared.

"Well, yes. I met him in a bookstore some months ago," Cloud replied, seemingly unaware of Seifer's horrible reputation.

"Did he try to hurt you?" Leon asked hastily, pulling his boyfriend into his arms and giving him a quick once-over even though that meeting had been months ago.

Cloud frowned at that assumption, looking mildly scandalized. "What? Of course not! I would have fallen flat on my face if it wasn't for Seifer's help!"

"Are you kidding? Seifer's never that nice!" Yuffie huffed. "And why didn't you ever tell me that you know him?"

The blond ignored her. "So… how have you been, Seifer? I haven't seen you since then."

Seifer shrugged casually, his smirk widening when he noticed Leon's irritated glare. "Same old. Nothing's changed."

"Wait. How did you get to know Seifer?"

Cloud rolled his eyes. Leon could be so relentless sometimes that it probably bordered on obstinacy, and Cloud knew from experience that at times like that, Leon would just keep asking until he got an answer. To save himself from the headache that would surely result, he was about to explain the entire incident in as much detail as he could remember when the icy blond interrupted.

"Tsk, you are an overbearing boyfriend, aren't you, Leonhart?" Seifer sneered snidely. "Does Cloud have to report every detail of his life to you? And Cloud, for someone who reads D. H. Lawrence (2), I thought you would have better taste than that for a boyfriend." He had an obvious disdain in his eyes, making him seem even colder than he already was.

Leon's eyes narrowed, his lips pulsed. "I am just concerned for my boyfriend, and I don't believe what goes on between us should concern you, Almasy. Besides, I'm sure everyone would be worried if their boyfriends were left alone with you for even a second."

"Well then, just to keep your domineering self informed, Cloud was trying to reach for a book that was on a shelf too high for him. He tried to get it on tiptoes, but he lost his balance and fell over, and I saved him from befriending the ground. So you should be thanking me for that, shouldn't you? Or you can't handle a little word of gratitude after all?"

Cloud winced at the sparks that were spewing out of Seifer and Leon. He was sure that if there was anything easily flammable nearby, the whole place would have exploded and gone to hell and back. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Riku had surreptitiously inched himself closer to his brunet boyfriend, probably to hold him back if he suddenly decided it would be fun to lunge for Seifer. Hastily, Cloud took action as well.

"Did I thank you for that day, Seifer? I mean, I was so sure I was going to get a nasty bump on my head, and you know, I was a little shocked by that and… and maybe I just forgot to thank you! So, ignoring the fact that I might already have thanked you, just let me thank you again. Thank you so much for your help, Seifer."

The icy blond smirked. "No problem, glad to be of help to you," he replied earnestly, so much so that Cloud thought that he would let the issue go. He was sorely disappointed when Seifer turned his ammunition to Leon again. "It's such a pity that Cloud got such an asshole for a boyfriend, don't you think, Leonhart?"

Riku tugged hard on Leon's sleeve when the brunet had made to attack, and Cloud quickly tried to change the topic again.

"Thanks for helping me get that book that day, Seifer. It was a really good read."

Thankfully, Seifer let himself take the bait.

"That was _Sons and Lovers_, wasn't it? Ah yes, I enjoyed that book too. But too bad Gertrude didn't die earlier, when Paul was still with that girl of his. It would have been interesting to see what Paul would have done in that case. Anyway, I promised to lend you my copy of _The Virgin and the Gypsy_, didn't I? It's still in my locker. I just keep forgetting to pass it to you. Not that I've seen you in school much," Seifer said with a shrug. "Now that you're here, why don't we walk to my locker to get it?"

Cloud's eyes positively glowed at that suggestion. He had been sorely disappointed when that book had been sold out at the bookstore he frequented, and he did not have the sort of persistence some others possessed and called up every bookstore in the vicinity to ask for a book.

"Really? You have it in your locker right now?" He could hardly keep the squeal of excitement hidden in his voice, and he was about to ask Seifer to lead the way to his locker when he noticed the pleading look Riku was shooting at him, who upon getting Cloud's attention, gave a sharp nod at Leon. Uh oh. Cloud had learned first hand how possessive Leon could be, when Cloud had found a love letter slotted into his locker one week earlier. Cloud would have reveled in having a secret admirer for the first time in his life if Leon hadn't spoiled that moment by plucking the letter out of his hands and made to tossed it into the nearest rubbish bin without a glance as to who the sender was. It was at that precise moment that the author of the letter dashed out, grabbed the letter back and slotted it into the correct locker -the one right beside Cloud's- with a string of apologies to the blond and a scowl at the brunet.

So, warily, Cloud peeked over his shoulders. Nearly squeaking, he quickly turned back. Leon was not mad. Oh no, he wasn't. Leon was flaming pissed, if the dark look in his eyes and tautness of his lips were anything to go by. Now Cloud was sure Leon's irritation wasn't just because he was a possessive guy, but also because he really didn't like anything to do with Seifer. Even when they had found that wrongly-addressed love letter in his locker, Leon hadn't been this mad.

Yuffie gave him a nudge in the shoulders. "You know, you should probably hold Seifer off. Tell him you'll get the book from him another day or something. Otherwise, your boyfriend is going to explode. Haven't you ever heard of the rivalry between Seifer and Leon? They can hardly stand being within fifty /miles/ of one another, and the only reason they haven't killed one another despite being on the kendo team together is because the coach threatened to boot them off if they ever did anything out of line. You'd better defuse the bomb right now or I swear you'll be caught in the middle."

Seifer was smirking; there was little doubt that he was reveling in the ugly scowl on Leon's face.

"Of course Cloud. Just come with me to my locker so I can pass it to you. You will most definitely enjoy the book if you like D. H. Lawrence's works."

"No." The refusal, not surprisingly, came from Leon, whose grasp on Cloud's shoulders had tightened slightly. "Our break is only fifteen minutes long. By the time you get to your locker and back, our break would be over by then."

Cloud winced inwardly at the gritted tone. Yuffie was right; if he did not do something (a.k.a. run away), he was going to suffocate under the tension that was wafting in the air like a ton of lead and die a horrible death.

"You know Seifer? I think I'll just get the book from you another time. Leon's right; your break is far too short, so why you don't just go drink some water, sit down and you know, rest up a bit? And Leon? I'll see you on Monday. Bye Leon! Bye Riku! Bye Seifer!"

He hightailed out of the gymnasium before anyone could stop him, Yuffie stuck right behind him. They both heaved a sigh of relieve and wiped off their cold sweat on their foreheads when they stepped out of the school, thankful that they had gotten out of that ordeal in one piece.

* * *

Yuffie was pretending that she couldn't hear a thing. Uh-uh. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Not a thing.

Because if she did, she would be forced to admit that every problem Cloud was having with Leon was due to her nosy interference. That, of course, wasn't true. The great Yuffie Kisaragi was never wrong! Even when it came to her previously non-existent matchmaking skills, she was impeccable.

So she continued to float around Cloud's room and whistle innocent tunes to herself while the other was rapidly wearing a hole in his floor with all his flustered pacing. For the past ten to twenty minutes, the blond had thus effectively been talking to himself about what to do about his boyfriend. The problems ranged from how to deal with the brunet's raging jealousy to how to break up with said brunet gently and without hurting either of them. Personally, Yuffie thought the best solution was to continue dating the so very attractive man and stick to him 24/7 like a leech, which was the ultimate dream of almost every girl in their school.

She was so fixated on not admitting her nosiness… ahem, not acknowledging what Cloud perceived as problems to be real problems, that she almost missed his next gripe.

"Yuffie… I think I need a shrink."

That got her attention.

"For what? Because you're bipolar? You don't have to see a shrink to know that you're acting like a docile little lamb in front of your boyfriend and a griping monster at home, you know?"

Cloud shot her a pointed look, which barely fazed her. Eventually, he sighed and fell onto his bed like a deflated balloon. Looking at the stark white ceiling, he raised a hand to his forehead like he was trying to block out the light.

"I don't understand myself. I want to break off this relationship with Leon -which isn't real in the first place anyway- but… why do I feel strange and awkward when Leon gets jealous? It's almost like… a cross between self-satisfaction and worry. But why would I feel that way?"

"Well…" Yuffie drawled. "That self-satisfaction is probably because Leon's jealous. I mean, it's normal to be happy when you see a stud like Leon get jealous over you. It just means he cares."

"It means /someone/ cares," Cloud corrected, much to her annoyance. "I guess it could be explained that way. Then what about the worry? I don't see why I should be worried if he gets jealous, apart from the fact that he looks kinda scary and overly protective during those times."

"Maybe you're worried that Leon will get mad at you? And maybe just a teeny-weeny-itsy-bitsy bit worried that Leon will ignore or even dump you?"

The blond snorted. "I look forward to the day he dumps me. That's inevitable; it's just a problem of when it will happen. And in my opinion, the sooner the better. I just want to be friends with him, very good friends even, but that's it."

Yuffie raised a sardonic eyebrow. When Cloud returned her look, she tapped her lips impatiently and disbelievingly. When he still did not get her silent message, she groaned, rolling her eyes. "Then how do you explain your reaction to Leon's kisses? You enjoy those, don't you? And if you dare deny that, I swear I will describe to you in detail how you moan and claw at his back every time you two kiss."

To his graces, Cloud had the decency to avert her gaze, lowering his face to hide his hot blush. He mumbled something.

"What? I can't hear you!" Yuffie ended in a singsong.

He mumbled again.

"Come again? You're speaking too softly, Cloudster!"

"I said!" Cloud replied heatedly, but his sudden confidence withered away as soon as he saw her knowing look and Cheshire smile. Pouting, he fidgeted, locking and unlocking his fingers. "I said, that's because Leon's a good kisser, alright? If you just let him kiss you once, you'd understand what I mean."

She gave him another look.

"I'm serious! When Leon erm, kisses you," –he played with the hem of his tee-shirt- "he has this way of making you feel cherished."

"That, and utterly ravished," Yuffie sighed dreamily.

"Well, yeah…" Cloud nodded offhandedly, stiffening a moment later when his mind backtracked and realized to his horror what he had just said. "No! I didn't say that!"

"Of course you didn't."

"You're just humouring me, aren't you?"

"Why, yes."

"…I hate you."

"Aw, I love you too, Cloudster."

Cloud started to nurse his headache, ambling downstairs for an icepack.

Really, Yuffie thought she should apply for a counseling job if she was this good at it. As it was, she already had a pretty good case on her résumé. She vaguely wondered if the job agency would take her application. Humming a happy tune, she resolved to head down to the nearest agency as soon as possible. At worst, she would give the employees there a coronary attack with her application form floating in mid-air.

Then, it hit her. She couldn't hold a pen to fill in her forms.

Oh well, looks like she was destined to play cupid for Cloud and Leon. Goody.

* * *

Taking the dishes out of the dryer, Cloud started to arrange them on the racks. It was his daily chore, washing, drying and then putting the clean dishes away after dinner. He didn't mind it so much, not when his mother was always tired from her work and still had to do household chores on top of that. Of course, having a dishwasher cum dryer really helped.

Putting the plates away carefully, he turned when he heard his mother come into the kitchen, this time all dressed up for the night shift at work. Her hair was worn in a loose bun, stray strands framing her petite and pale face.

"I'm going to work now, honey. Take care of yourself, alright?"

"Yes mum," Cloud answered obediently and almost robotically. After all, he had heard those lines every time his mother left for work for the past few years. Even if it warmed his heart to know his mother cared, it was a little tiring to hear the same lines over and over again.

"Remember to turn off the lights when you go to sleep, alright?"

"Yes mum."

"And lock all the doors and windows."

"Yes mum."

"And check the stove to see if the gas is leaking."

"Yes mum."

"Oh, and I hired a babysitter for you tonight."

"Yes mum… What?" Cloud's head snapped up so fast it was amazing he hadn't sprained his neck.

Eleanor Strife's bright smile did not waver in the least. "I said I hired a babysitter for you tonight, honey. He should be here soon." The door bell rang at that exact moment, the sound as shrilly as a raven's cawing and just as obtrusive. Eleanor clapped in delight before scampering to welcome the babysitter, leaving her only son in utter disbelief and trying to drown out Yuffie's cackling.

Cloud stumbled out of the kitchen after a moment of resignation, still trying to get over the fact that his mother actually hired a babysitter for her teenage son. He had always thought he had outgrown babysitters after he turned ten, when his parents just took him over to Yuffie's house instead. Gods, what was the accursed babysitter going to do with him? Make him go to sleep at 9 p.m. or withhold desserts? No wait, there were no desserts anyway.

He stopped in his tracks when he noticed just who his mother had hired. Oh yeah, he was definitely right about his mother. She was a manipulative lamb alright. Every bit as manipulative as Yuffie, who was currently laughing her head off. In the hands of these two women, his future could be summed up in one word: bleak.

Leon managed a small smile, adjusting the haversack on his shoulder. Cloud smiled back, albeit in disbelief.

"Well boys, I'll leave you two alone now. Work calls! You two take care of each other, alright? Bye honey! Bye Leon!" Eleanor chirped, and after giving them a jaunty wave, walked out of the house and disappeared around the corner.

Leon was still standing at the threshold, uncertainty shining in his eyes, especially when his boyfriend was shaking his head. He took a tentative step inside the house. Catching Cloud's attention, he smiled again, pointing a thumb at his haversack and said, "I brought vanilla ice cream."

Cloud couldn't help but smile, a genuine one this time. Sighing in amusement, he led Leon inside and closed the door, all the while talking.

"I can't believe this! My mum hired you to baby-sit me? For a while then, I thought I was going to have some old guy demanding I go to bed early or something. How did my mum find you anyway?"

Leon chuckled sheepishly. "She asked for my cell phone number the second time I came to pick you up for school. She called me after kendo practice this afternoon, and asked if I wanted to sleepover and keep you company, since she's working the night shift and you'll be alone at home."

Yuffie had to forcefully stifle her giggles when she heard 'sleepover', the exact same thing she had wanted to suggest to Leon using Cloud's body that afternoon. Either Cloud's mother was psychic, or woman's intuition was at work here. No matter what, Cloud was in for an interesting night. And the best thing was, the blond didn't even seem to have noticed any problems with a sleepover. Oh, all the kinky possibilities!

"Really? I guess mum's still worried about me because of Yuffie…" –he shot a pointed look at the female specter- "Anyway, can I have the ice cream now? We can, I dunno, eat it together and watch television?"

"I was thinking that we should complete all our assignments tonight. Then we can go out tomorrow."

Argh, Leon was still hung up on that idea. Well, at least he could try and direct their date to an ice cream parlor instead. Talking about ice cream…

"Can I have the ice cream while we do our assignments then?"

Leon smirked, and Cloud got an answer of sorts. He didn't like it.

"Work hard, and /then, I'll let you have some ice cream."

Yuffie chuckled. Leon was certainly getting the hang of being Cloud's boyfriend, subtly steering the blond into doing what he wanted in a way that made both parties happy. Well, to a certain extent. Quickly, she darted up to Cloud's room for a nap. She did not intend to stay with the blond and hear him gripe about having to complete all his assignments on the same night.

Cloud was not going to be a happy camper when he finished.

* * *

Still hunched over the dining table with his math assignment before him, Cloud peeked through from his jagged bangs, stealing a glance at the brunet who was totally absorbed in his own assignments. In fact, he seemed to have little to no problems at all, his pen flying across the paper flawlessly, filling it with an array of numbers and symbols. His calculator lay abandoned by his side.

Leon didn't seem like he wanted to stop anytime soon.

Suppressing a sigh, Cloud started to work on the next question. So this was the difference between a star pupil and a normal pupil. After 3 hours of grueling hard work, Cloud was already feeling tired and bored, not to mention brain dead. He could almost see it: the mass grave of his poor brain cells, and the surviving brain cells were protesting against working them even harder. Oh, now the number of his brain cells was finally down to a manageable size, but Cloud wasn't feeling very happy about that.

Three hours ago, they had started with their physics worksheets. There were little problems with that for either of them, Leon being good in all subjects and Cloud being strongest in physics. That was partially why he had agreed to become the subject representative anyway.

Two-and-a-half hours ago, they had moved on to chemistry, which Cloud started to have a little trouble with when he got to a few chemical reactions. Was the answer supposed to be potassium or was it something else? Leon had moved his chair closer and explained the entire question in detail before giving Cloud a brief summary of the latest topic that was being taught in class anyway. Cloud learned that it was easier to pay attention to Leon than their teacher. And when Cloud finally understood and quickly demonstrated his new knowledge, Leon had rewarded him with a brief, tingling kiss.

One hour ago, they had finally gotten to their math assignment, and that was when Cloud had to physically stop himself from bashing his head against the table in frustration. He had never enjoyed abstract mathematics. It wasn't as if he was completely stuck, but he was going through the questions at a pace so slow snails would have fared better. In fact, he could imagine the snails sticking out their tongues (did they have tongues anyway?) at him as they overtook him, and he was left eating their dust.

Cloud was just so tired. He sighed, throwing his pen on the table for a stretch.

Leon looked up from his work, brushing his bangs away from his face.

"Tired?"

"You think?"

"Fine, we'll take a break," Leon said, lying down his pen as well. Then on second thoughts, he added, "You can get the vanilla ice cream out of your freezer now." He chuckled when his boyfriend did a small victory dance and bounced off his chair, heading right for his favourite treat like a child who had just been given his favourite toy. And in a way, he supposed it was so. Leon licked his lips.

Flicking the lid off the small tub of ice cream in a more than skilful manner, Cloud sighed happily when he finally spooned the first bit of the delicious treat into his mouth. He could just melt at the tantalizing taste swirling on his tongue. Picking up another spoon, he plopped himself back onto his chair and handed it over to Leon, gesturing to the tub as he continued to lick his own spoon clean.

"Thanks for the ice cream, man! Mum doesn't let me have ice cream at home anymore, after I got sick because I downed two whole tubs at one go. But that was because Yuffie dared me. I wouldn't have eaten that much otherwise."

"Which is why I got you the small tub instead of the super-sized one. Your mother warned me against it," Leon replied, taking the offered spoon and putting it down on the table.

Cloud arched an eyebrow. "My mum has /so/ completely gotten to you."

Leon chuckled. "Only because it's generally not a good idea to antagonize your boyfriend's mother. Besides, I like your mother, and she's just concerned for you, just as I am. By the way," –he pointed playfully at Cloud's hand first and then tapped his lips- "ice cream."

The blond pouted. "I gave you a spoon already." When Leon's expectant gaze did not waver, he sighed. It had to be because Leon was such a nice guy and good friend that Cloud couldn't refuse his requests, he thought. He gingerly scooped a little of the ice cream into Leon's waiting mouth, cupping his other hand below the spoon just in case the melting treat found its way on their clothes.

Leon hummed his appreciation, making sure to get all the ice cream he had been offered. When he nodded, Cloud removed the spoon, plopping it right back into the tub.

Shoving a mouthful down his own throat, the blond grumbled, "Why do you always insist on me feeding you whenever we eat ice cream? I wouldn't mind it so much if we use two spoons, but no, you always refuse to eat when I try to feed you with another spoon. Is my spoon any different from other spoons?"

"Well yes. It's /your/ spoon," Leon replied sincerely, if a little teasingly. Leaning in closer to his boyfriend, he let his warm breath caress Cloud's ear as he continued, "Besides, you get the most adorable expression whenever we do this." He laughed, backing away when Cloud flicked him off.

"You are incorrigible," Cloud huffed, turning back to his food to hide his soft blush.

"Ah, but you like me this way."

"Says who?"

Leon grinned smugly at him, as though knowing something that Cloud did not. When Cloud glared in return, he gave in and merely shrugged, the amused smile still hanging on his handsome face. His headstrong personality refused to let his boyfriend have the last word, however, and after a moment, he added, "It's not as if we haven't kissed before, and sharing a spoon is hardly anything compared to that. Don't let that bother you."

Cloud snorted as he ate another small portion of ice cream. "I wouldn't be this bothered if you didn't insist on sharing my spoon in public too. Didn't you see how Axel kept staring at us yesterday? I bet he was one second away from throwing us out of the ice cream parlor for public indecency."

"Of course not. Didn't you see how Axel was alternately looking at us sharing our spoon and gazing at Roxas?"

The blond nearly choked.

Leon took that chance to pluck the spoon out of Cloud's loose grip, and also to slide the tub of ice cream across the table where he could spoon the dessert easier. Quickly, he scooped a little onto the spoon and held it close to Cloud's lips, imitating what Cloud had done earlier by cupping a hand beneath the spoon as well in case the ice cream dripped.

"If you don't like feeding me, then let's do it the other way around. Open your mouth."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Is there a difference? We're still sharing the spoon."

"I'm feeding you. That's the difference. Now open your mouth," Leon pressed again, feeling a surge of satisfying delight filling him when his boyfriend eventually gave in. After Cloud was finished with the ice cream, Leon set the spoon on the table and leaned in for quick peck on his lips, licking all the excess ice cream away. He hummed contentedly as he back away, enjoying the blush colouring his boyfriend's face. Smiling, he inwardly hoped that Cloud would always retain his innocence, because only then would he able to see the little pinch of red accentuating Cloud's face whenever they kiss.

"You're strange. You don't even like vanilla ice cream," Cloud mumbled, unable to meet Leon's eyes.

"Vanilla ice cream is an acquired taste. Especially when I get to taste it off your lips."

Cloud mumbled something inaudible and quickly snatched the tub of ice cream back, turning away and quietly eating.

The brunet smiled at the image. Vaguely, he wondered if Cloud enjoyed their playful banter as much as he did, or that if Cloud realized he was the cutest boyfriend Leon had ever had. Not that he had a string of boyfriends before Cloud, but that wasn't the point. The point was, Cloud was too cute for his own good and Leon wanted them to be closer. They were making good progress on that already, according to all of his friends. Riku thought the blond was still very shy but was surely warming up to Leon, if his sweet and sometimes flustered responses to Leon's advances were any indication. Aeris was looking forward to the day when Cloud would initiate something intimate, firmly believing that it would be someday soon. Selphie was exceptionally sure that it was only a matter of time before Cloud proclaimed his love for Leon in front of the entire school, or at least stick to Leon like there was superglue between them. Tidus was taking bets from their schoolmates, and currently, the odds were in Leon's favour.

As the saying went, observers always saw the most accurate picture because they were more objective.

But before Leon could make good on their night alone, he had to first clear some stuff up that was bothering him to no ends.

"Cloud?"

"Hmm?"

"How did you know Seifer?"

The blond looked up from his ice cream, seemingly having forgotten his previous mortification, his brows knitted together. "Didn't I just explain that this afternoon?"

"That was the concise version. I want the long one now."

"How long do you want it to be? I mean, it's just what he said. I was in a bookstore, reaching for a book that was on a shelf too high for me, I tiptoed, lost my balance, nearly fell over, and Seifer caught me before I could hit the ground."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Seifer's not the type who would talk to someone just because he saved them. In fact, he isn't even the type who would go around helping people. Something else must have happened between you two."

Cloud sighed. "Well, I was falling into him, so he either had to catch me or let us both fall. And then, I probably looked pitiful enough, so he helped me get the book, and when he saw who the author was, he started talking to me about the author's other books. That's normal, isn't it? Talking to someone because of a common interest? And so we went down to a café nearby and chatted about the author, the books we had read, and then we found out that we were from the same school."

"And that's when he offered to lend you his book?"

"Yes. And that's it. I haven't really seen him since that day. Today was an exception. Happy now?"

"No."

"Why not? You don't expect me to relate the conversation I had with Seifer to you word by word, do you? That's going a bit too far."

"Not that. I don't like it that he's been talking to you. Seifer's not a… safe person to make friends with."

"I don't see why. Seifer's been pretty nice to me. He hasn't threatened to beat me up or anything, if that's what you're worried about."

Leon ran a hand through his bangs. "Just try to stay away from him if possible. I don't want to have him too close to you."

Cloud nodded noncommittally, still focusing on his food. He really hated it when he couldn't pay full attention to vanilla ice cream. If it were any other food, he wouldn't have minded as much, but it was vanilla ice cream! It was the food of all food! And it was only respectful to pay complete attention to the rapture it bestowed upon his taste buds. So, eager to end the conversation, Cloud just spoke the first thing that came to his mind. If he had used even 0.02 seconds to think his words through, he would have noticed the glaring problem and cleverly ate the words. But sadly, he did not.

"You know, you're really starting to sound jealous."

He stiffened 0.02 seconds after uttering the statement, feeling like an idiot that had crushed his own toes with a rock he had just picked up. He wrote a mental note to have a nice chat with his remaining brain cells when Leon left.

"I /am/ jealous."

Oh, that mental note was so far away now.

Warily, Cloud turned to his right, his melting ice cream forgotten for once. Leon was gazing at him intently, a faint blush dusting his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. Cloud felt himself gulp, and instincts told him to escape, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Leon's. Not when they were burning so passionately, the flames glowing behind those grey eyes, darkening with desire. He felt lightheaded.

"I know Seifer. He wouldn't offer to lend you anything if he doesn't like you, common interests or not. And I don't like that. You're mine, Cloud. I'll never let you go. Mine."

A storm was whipping up in those smoldering grey eyes now, possessiveness seeping through. It was scary, yet at the same time, enchanting. And Cloud felt himself held in place by the spell, his eyes fluttering shut and his lashes sweeping against his cheeks. His breath caught in his throat as he waited. He did not have to wait long before soft lips crushed down on his, forcing his mouth open. Cloud submitted, as he had learned to in the past two weeks, letting the other taste his lips and coaxing his tongue into an elaborate dance. He felt a smirk against his lips, and then before he realized it, he found himself lifted out of his chair and set down onto Leon's lap, their kiss never breaking.

Vaguely, Cloud thought he should protest or at least feel a little miffed. He wasn't an item; he didn't belong to anybody but himself. He was his own master when it came down to it, and no one could own him like he was some inanimate, non-feeling object.

But strangely, he couldn't summon up his anger. They seemed to have faded away with the coming of the storm, and Cloud couldn't remember if they had existed in the first place at all. What he felt was passion, tenderness, affection, devotion, all of them swirling up in a cloud of bewildering haze that stole all thought and sense of logic.

How was it that Leon always made him feel this way when they kissed?

When Leon sighed into the kiss, pulling back a little to instead nibble on his bottom lip, Cloud realized that he didn't particularly care why. He just wanted this moment to last for as long as possible, and for these feelings of being cherished, treasured and even utterly ravished to stay with him.

Leon seemed to understand his need, and after a while, he dived back in to kiss Cloud deeper, longer, and with more emotions than before. Cloud clung onto him desperately.

The rapidly melting vanilla ice cream was left forgotten on the table.

* * *

It was always a task to meet Leon's eyes after their kisses. Thankfully, Cloud wouldn't have to bear with that for much longer, because they had finally finished up the last of their assignment and once they went to bed, Cloud would have his own room all to himself (well, and Yuffie) and Leon would have the guest room for the night. And since Leon didn't seem like the type who stayed up to talk, Cloud figured the chances of them going straight to bed were pretty high.

So after they'd locked all the windows and door and checked the stove, as his mother always told him to, Cloud led Leon up the stairs, heart feeling lighter and mood much better. Just a bit more, and he could go sleep his problems off and not have to worry about meeting the other's eyes until the next day, which by then the embarrassment would have died off anyway.

He was about to head down the corridor to the guest room when Leon stopped him, however.

"Isn't this your room?"

Cloud nodded.

"I want to take a look. I've never really taken a good look at your room even though I've been picking you up for school in the mornings."

Okay, so it would be a little bit longer, but Cloud thought he could handle it. Gesturing, he said, "Go ahead. The light switch is just beside the door."

Leon flicked the switch, and within a second, lights flooded the room. It was a very normal room with sparse but sufficient furniture, a few old posters held up by yellowish scotch-tape on the wall, and a clean, wood-tiled floor. The room was much cleaner and neater than most teenager's, but only because Cloud's meticulous attention to such details.

"Where's the bathroom? I'll go wash up first," Leon said suddenly, carelessly throwing his bag onto the floor after digging out his toothbrush. On second thoughts, he shifted it closer to the wall with a kick.

Reflexively, Cloud pointed to the door directly opposite his room, and a moment later, the door slammed shut and the sounds of running water could be heard. That seemed to be the cue for Yuffie to pop up from the closet, which she had claimed was the coziest place in Cloud's room and had so taken to sleeping inside every night. Cloud had already gotten used to seeing a leg hanging out from his closet occasionally.

Stretching, she moaned as her bones popped back into place, and she floated closer to her friend. "Time for bed already? You two sure took a long time downstairs… Finished all the assignments already?"

"Yeah, it's all done."

"You do know what that means, don't you? You don't have an excuse for not going out with him tomorrow already."

"I know… I'll just think of something tomorrow. The worst that could happen is that I go out with him and I direct him to an ice cream parlor."

"…Don't you ever get sick of vanilla ice cream? Oh wait, pretend I never asked that 'cause we both know the answer. By the way, where's your handsome boyfriend going to sleep?"

"The guestroom, of course. You can't expect him to sleep here, can you? And for god's sake, I'm not about to let someone I know likes me /that/ way to sleep in /my/ room with me in it."

"Not even if Leon asks nicely?"

"Even if he asks nicely," he replied, giving her a look that dared her to question him.

She chose to keep silent on that matter, and instead, whistled an innocent tune while looking away. Even though Cloud had been dating Leon for two weeks, she had known Leon for what? A year and a half? She still knew him better. And she wasn't going to tell Cloud what she thought Leon would do. She kept her silence even when the brunet had returned from the bathroom and Cloud went in. When Leon started to shed his clothes, Yuffie had squeaked and quickly turned away, her whistling getting considerably louder in embarrassment. Yuffie debated if she should turn around and just get a sneak peek (this was the unspoken midnight fantasy of every girl in Radiant High), but by the time her devilish self had defeated her angelic self and she spun around, Leon was already clad in a loose white tee and drawstring pants. She wept.

Cloud came back at this point in time, grabbing his pajamas before running back inside the bathroom. In the meantime, both Yuffie and Leon made themselves comfortable, one to watch the upcoming drama unfold and the other to relax. Yuffie giggled uncontrollably when Cloud reentered his bedroom in his pajamas with cute chocobo prints, eager to see how he would deal with the situation.

The blond stopped at his door in surprise. " Erm, Leon? What are you doing in my bed? There's a chair, you know?"

Leon did not seem to have heard that question. Instead, he was too busy appraising his boyfriend's choice in sleepwear, chuckling when Cloud fidgeted under his gaze. Getting up from the bed, he strolled over, reaching out to pull Cloud closer.

"Time for bed, chocobo."

"Hey, I'm not a chocobo! It's just my pajamas," Cloud retorted half-heartedly, since he haboured a secret fondness for the huge yellow birds. "Anyway, I'll take you to the guestroom. Hope you don't mind sleeping in there. Maybe we should clean it up a bit first though…" Perhaps there was even a need to send out eviction notices to the dust balls that had no doubt colonized the room, but Cloud chose to keep mum on that. He was about to lead the way when an arm grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. " Leon?"

"I'm sleeping here."

Yuffie giggled at Cloud's slackened jaw. Oh, she just knew Leon well enough to know he would demand such a thing, and how she loved it. Too bad she wouldn't have anybody to share her voyeur material with though.

"Here? In my room?"

Leon nodded.

"But…!" Despite his earlier words to Yuffie, any protests Cloud might have had halted at his lips when he noticed the intense look on the other's face. "Fine… I'll see if I can pull an extra mattress here then…" he mumbled with a blush, and he absently imagined the field day their schoolmates would have if they found out about Leon demanding to share his room, even if it was just for one night. Cloud felt like his reputation (and chastity) was steadily being chipped away, and he winced.

"I'll just sleep in your bed."

"Eh? But /I'm/ sleeping in my bed!"

"Yes, you are."

Leon was smirking by this time, reminding Yuffie of the bad, big wolf in _The Little Red Riding Hood_. Oh Leon, what big eyes you have! The better to look at you with, my dear. Oh Leon, what strong arms you have! The better to hold you with, my dear. Oh Leon, what beautiful lips you have! The better to kiss you with, my dear. Yuffie chortled at the image of Cloud wearing a red riding hood and talking to Leon, who was lying in bed and sporting the ears and tail of a wolf.

"Wait, but if I'm sleeping in my bed, and you're sleeping in my bed too…" –Cloud blinked for a moment as that information sunk into his brain- "EH? WE'RE SHARING A BED?"

Yuffie felt tears gathering at her eyes as she rolled on the floor, pounding on it as she laughed. Sometimes, Cloud could just be so dense!

-tbc-

(1) Kote: It's the glove-like part of the armour people wear for kendo.  
(2) D. H. Lawrence: An extremely prolific and controversial writer of the 20th century.

**Teaser for next chapter: **In which jealousy rears its not-so-ugly head into Cloud and Leon's relationship, Leon worms his way into Cloud's bed, Cloud tries to keep Leon's hands off of him in bed, and Yuffie is a happy voyeur.

**A/N: **In case you're haven't noticed yet, _Vanilla Souffle _is already up. In fact, I've already posted 2 ficlets for it. Please read and feed the author! Thanx!


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Vanilla part 5

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: LxC

Warnings: AU, romance, sap, fluff, humour, OOC-ness

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to lay claim to Cloud, I'm kinda scared of Leon's gunblade. So well, I don't own Kingdom Hearts and its character, and neither do I own the various Final Fantasies and their characters.

Note: This fic is inspired by the Japanese manga _Eerie Queerie_. And this fic's theme song is Gackt's _Vanilla_. /sniggers/ Many thanks to Hanae da Firefly for proofreading this chapter.

Summary: Cloud's only friend, Yuffie, had just died a few weeks ago. However, Yuffie can't move on to the next world and so she follows Cloud around in his daily life. And she just can't resist the opportunity to play the finest prank on Cloud by possessing his body and confessing to someone... LxC

* * *

The next time someone said something about karma, about things coming back to bite you in the ass, Cloud was going to slap that person. No, slapping was making things way too easy for the moron. Cloud was going to slap him, punch him, and then shake him stupid while he demanded an answer.

Just what had Cloud done wrong to warrant such… such… such an undeserved retribution? Wasn't karma supposed to mean what goes around comes around? So why was karma coming around to him when nothing had gone around in the first place? Cloud was going to start investing all his faith in the Murphy's Law instead: what can go wrong /will/ go wrong. And it would go wrong so ridiculously it was completely unbelievable.

Cloud felt the urge to pinch his face and wake himself up from this nightmare. Had Leon just suggested that they share a bed for the night?

Sure, Leon was a very, very, very, very, veeeeery good friend, and Cloud really enjoyed their time together. Well, as long as the brunet kept his hands to himself (a kiss was alright, but Cloud hated it when Leon started touching him /everywhere/), that is. Still, that didn't mean Cloud could accept sleeping –sleeping! For god's sake! Sleeping!- in the same bed as Leon!

Leon was still staring at him intently, waiting for Cloud to agree to his ridiculous, outlandish, and absurd suggestion as though there were completely no reason why he should refuse. In fact, he looked like he was just one puny step away from moving forward and carrying Cloud to bed, bridal-style.

When Leon /actually/ took one step towards Cloud, the blond jumped backwards with an unmanly 'eep'. Was it just him, or was Leon looking more and more like a wolf on the hunt? Or even a wolf with his favourite food placed on a silver platter right in front of him? Those grey eyes were positively gleaming with excitement and hunger. Cloud gulped.

Another step forward.

Two steps back. Plus another gulp.

Three steps forward.

Step backwards, step backwards, step backwards… Darn, was it the wall already? Double gulp.

"Cloud."

Fluster. Eep.

"Now Leon, you can't be serious about that! I mean, why would you want to sleep in my bed, with me in it? It'd just mean less space for both of us, which would make it really cramped, which would then make it uncomfortable to sleep in. So you don't really want to share my bed tonight. Right? Right."

"Cloud, I…"

"Right, I'll go find an extra mattress for you. Right away! Right away!"

"Cloud, stop it."

"Maybe I can pull that mattress in the guestroom over? It should be clean enough. Or if you don't want that, why don't you take my bed, and I'll sleep in my mum's room! Yeah, that'll do it!"

Cloud was about to blabber on about how great his mother's bed was, how soft it could be, and how it was a good thing his mother was working the graveyard shift so no one was sleeping there anyway. He was about to blabber on about all that when Leon's slightly annoyed yet still fond face swam out of focus, and Cloud felt a light pressure on his lips, staying there for a moment before moving away. He blushed hard. If Leon intended on doing /that/ sort of thing tonight, he was going to scream. Screw his dignity. His virginity was more important.

Still, he calmed down. A little. Enough to stop him from rambling on and on about nothing again, and quite enough to make him hold his breath while staring back at Leon wide-eyed.

"Cloud, stop being so nervous," Leon chided gently, like a mother telling her child why there were some things he should not do for his own sake. Too bad though: Cloud wasn't his kid. He was Leon's boyfriend. And boyfriends were very, very different from one's kids. At least, the things one could do with one's boyfriend and kids in bed were extremely different. "I'm not asking you to..." –his face coloured as well- "…make love with me. I'm just asking you to share a bed with me tonight. I promise I won't do anything I shouldn't be doing. Promise."

Yuffie sighed dramatically, shaking her head. If it was that easy to get through to worrywart Cloud, the blond would have had a long string of boyfriends and a global network of friends in all sorts of places by now. Too bad his skull was at least three times thicker than normal people's, not to mention less sticky than non-stick frying pans. The stick-it notes could be flying at him with superglue underneath, and they would still slide off Cloud's thick skull like water on glass. Not open to suggestions that easily, the blond was.

Said blond laughed nervously, his over-imaginative mind conjuring up all sorts of compromising situations that could happen. After all, he was no stranger to raging teenage hormones and sex drives. Cloud had no illusions that those promises would remain unbroken in the heat of the moment and fiery passions.

So when Leon made to carry him off to bed, Cloud yelped and jumped away like the other was some sort of humongous, scary bug one would do better off not touching.

" Leon, no. We can't do it. We can't share a bed. It's… not right."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Why not? We are boyfriends, aren't we? And we're just going to share a bed, not anything else."

"You see, Leon? When two people share a bed, it means they love each other very, very, very, very much! Since we've been together for only two weeks, we're still not at that stage of relationship yet, right? Right."

Yuffie snorted.

"Then just lie with me for a while. I'll move to sleep on the floor after you've fallen asleep. I just want to hold you for a while."

"But Leon… the floor's uncomfortable."

"Then I'll move to the guestroom after that. And we can go out together tomorrow. We've finished all our homework already, so you won't have to worry about that."

But… Although it sounded innocent enough, the idea of sharing a bed still bothered Cloud to no ends. He had never imagined himself in this situation: standing in his bedroom like a frightened rabbit with a hungry, yet still very sweet wolf asking for a bit of quality time together. It was a sweet and extremely popular wolf, but still a wolf nonetheless. It was strange, it was uncomfortable. It was just /really/ bizarre.

But most importantly, he didn't want to raise Leon's hopes.

" Leon," – he shook his head – "we can't share a bed. And tomorrow… let's talk about it tomorrow, alright?"

When the brunet lowered his head and remained silent, Cloud thought his words had finally gotten through. He felt like cheering and dancing for a successful argument against Leon, something that was extremely rare, but decided that it would be better to save it for later. Preferably when Leon was out of the room and fast asleep in the guest room so the brunet wouldn't hear his cries of jubilation. A wrench was quickly thrown into his plans, however, when Leon's voice suddenly echoed through the room.

"So Seifer was right about our relationship?"

The voice was soft, but the tone was so chilly it made it impossible to ignore. So even though Cloud was wary of what he would see, he remained still when Leon raised his head. He swallowed. Leon's eyes were burning, those grey eyes piercing and cold. Any reasons, excuses, and even words remained stuck at his throat. Cloud could only feel his heart plummeting into a deep chasm when Leon started to talk again.

"You don't like me as much as you said you do. If you do, you wouldn't always try to get out of our dates; you wouldn't try to sneak off early to avoid me in the morning; you wouldn't resist me holding you! Is it too much to ask for? Just a little time with my boyfriend? Just a little time with you /outside/ of school? And it's not like I'm asking you to sleep with me! I just want to hold you for the night!

"And why can you talk to Seifer for an entire afternoon when you can't seem to stay with me as soon as school ends? Do you like him better?"

Cloud gasped. "Le-Leon, that's not fair! Seifer's just a friend!"

"Just a friend? He was almost flirting with you this afternoon! You call that a friend?"

Yuffie winced when she noticed where Leon's temper was going. She had seen him fly into a rage once, when Seifer had offhandedly said something offensive about Leon's mother, something that was way below the belt, and that jerk bloody well knew it, which obviously made things even worse. Leon had, in a move so swift Yuffie wasn't sure if she had actually seen it, pinned Seifer to the wall, holding him slightly above the ground by his collar. His fists had been so tightly clenched she remembered his knuckles turning white, and blood even started to flow from the crescents where his nails had dug so mercilessly into his palms. And when Seifer had sneered, making no attempts to wrestle out of his trapped position, Leon had growled a growl so deep, so guttural that Yuffie felt her hair stand on ends. Those two had been so close to an all-out fist fight, and they would have actually fought in school had their kendo coach not turn up at that exact moment to break the boys up. And during their kendo session after that argument, Leon had been so harsh on his sparring partner that both their swords actually cracked in several areas.

Gods, if Leon dared harm one hair on Cloud, she was going to possess Cloud and fight back!

On the other hand, Cloud was willing himself to melt into the wall if it meant he would be able to avoid Leon's boiling rage. That handsome face that had always been so full of tenderness and affection seemed so frightening contorted in anger, eyes blazing and lips pulsed. It reminded Cloud of all those bullies who had made it their hobby to torture his younger days, sneering at him for being such a baby, laughing at him for being so weak, yelling at him for even existing. So when Leon gritted his teeth, Cloud's instincts kicked in, his eyes flying shut tightly and his hands brought up to protect himself.

Nothing happened. After silence had reigned for a few moments, Cloud finally dared to open his eyes for a peek. What he saw made him slowly lower his hands.

Leon was gazing intently back at him, grey eyes filled with disbelief, shame, hurt, regret, and even pain.

He swallowed, a strange pang of guilt struck him, though he knew there shouldn't be a reason for him to feel that way. "Le-Leon…"

The brunet did not let him finish. Instead, he quickly gathered Cloud into his arms, gently, carefully, tenderly, and very gingerly tucked Cloud's head under his chin. He released a shuddering breath at the sensations of his boyfriend's lithe form so close to himself, half-lying against his chest, taking comfort in his embrace.

Cloud, for once, truly didn't want to resist. He sighed, locking his fingers together behind the small of Leon's back.

Neither said a word for a long while, reveling in the simple act of being wrapped up in each other's arms.

Finally, Leon broke the silence.

"Cloud… I… I'm sorry. I was being unfair, irrational, and unreasonable. I, I wasn't thinking. I should have realized that you're still not entirely used to the idea of me hovering by your side all the time. You were always so quiet and withdrawn. I shouldn't expect you to accept having a boyfriend so soon."

Leon's voice was quiet and soft, the tenderness and affection having returned, soothing Cloud's frayed nerves. It comforted him.

"And… And I of all people should have known that whatever Seifer says is just plain bullshit. He's always saying things to antagonize me, so what's so different about what he said this time? I, I should have known."

_Yes, you should have. And you should have trusted me over Seifer. _But Cloud did not say a word, choosing instead to let Leon's calming voice continue washing over him in soft, successive waves. He snuggled closer, humming lightly when Leon ran a hand down his back.

"But Cloud… I won't hit you. I won't /ever/ hit you. I'm sorry for making you think that I was going to. Sorry," –he dropped a light kiss to the top of Cloud's head- "sorry." Another kiss, a little longer than the one before.

Cloud sighed again. "You said it yourself. You were unfair, irrational /and/ unreasonable. And to be completely honest, stupid as well, for thinking for even one puny second that I have something going on with Seifer. He is just a friend, and not even a close one. I can't understand what got you so mad just now. Can you really, and I do mean really, imagine me dating Seifer?"

Leon responded first with a tightening of his embrace, pulling their bodies flushed against each other, and Cloud got an idea what the other was going to say.

"Well no," Leon admitted, albeit sheepishly. "But mostly because I can only imagine you dating me."

Cloud rolled his eyes. He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes again when Yuffie started to squeal and go into fangirl mode. But inwardly, he couldn't deny that there was a pang of sweetness and happiness surfacing in his heart, rolling off in tiny ripples. But he quickly stomped it down before the ripples became huge waves, or worse, towering tsunamis. Cloud had to remind himself: he wasn't in love. He just enjoyed the pure adoration Leon showered upon him. Leon was just his friend.

He ignored the tiny voice inside him that snorted.

"Anyway, where's the guestroom? I think it might be better if I sleep in there tonight alone, to cool my head," Leon asked, removing himself from Cloud to pick up his previously discarded bag.

The blond jumped a little. It really wasn't a good idea to think too deeply while in the company of someone else, he told himself, and quickly focused on the task at hand. He gestured to his door.

"Erm, it's just down the corridor. The last door, actually."

Leon nodded, slinging his bag behind himself. Gazing at his boyfriend, he leaned in for one more kiss, nibbling at his lips for a lingering moment before leaving the room with a brief 'good night'.

Fingers trembling, Cloud touched his still throbbing lips, eyes glued to the door where Leon had just exited from. He sighed. When did things become so complicated, with jealousy and trust issues coming into the relationship? As if it wasn't complicated enough in the first place!

It was so crazy. Everything was so crazy. Cloud really missed the time before all this craziness started, when life was so simple, especially so after Yuffie had died. He just had to get up for school, angst a bit, go to school, angst a bit more, come home, angst even more, and he could go to bed after he had used up his angst quota for the day. Now though, with Yuffie back in the mix, Cloud had to deal with Leon's constant need to be touchy-feely with him, Leon's never-ending fussing over his diet and eating habits (though the touch of vanilla was really nice), and even Leon's tendency to get insanely jealous over him. It was enough to make Cloud scream and pull his hair sometimes.

Yuffie floated to his side. "Woah, I was so worried about you just now. Leon looked like he was one step away from tearing up the whole place! He's really scary when he blows his top… And the guys sure weren't kidding when they said he's prone to jealousy. I mean, he's getting all possessive just because you talked with Seifer. You alright, Cloud?" She gave him a quick once-over.

Cloud gave her a sideway glance, frowning. Yuffie didn't really believe that Leon would actually hit him, did she? She had known Leon for so much longer than he did. But when Cloud saw the truly concerned gleam in her eyes and the knitted brows, he knew that she did, at least to a certain extent. That made Cloud's heart clench painfully.

Because in spite of all the little annoyances Cloud had to put up with because of Leon, he couldn't ignore how Leon always glanced his way whenever they stopped at a red light, as though reassuring himself that Cloud was still there beside him in the passenger's seat, safe and sound; he couldn't ignore the way Leon seemed so uncertain of himself whenever he tried to lay his head down on Cloud's thighs during lunch break, hoping to sneak in a nap before lessons started and hoping for Cloud to fuss over him a little; and he couldn't ignore the twinkle of disbelief and pure, unadulterated /happiness/ in Leon's eyes after their every kiss.

Leon never asked for much in return for his affections. Leon seemed contented whenever Cloud offered him a faint smile at the red lights, whenever Cloud played with his brown shaggy mane as he lay down on his thighs, and whenever Cloud shyly kissed back, blushing lightly afterwards.

The cold stab of guilt was almost unbearable.

Cloud wished he could do more for the brunet who loved him so deeply.

Cloud wished he could compensate the brunet for all the time and effort wasted on him.

Cloud wished he didn't have to hurt the brunet, when he finally got up the nerves to ask for a breakup.

"Cloudster?"

Yuffie's hesitant voice awoke him, and when he saw the concern swimming in her obsidian eyes, the same concern Leon always showed him, he got the biggest impulse to do something. And for once, Cloud decided to act on it. Zack's forced cheerfulness and his subsequent slumped shoulders as he walked away from Cloud were still fresh in his mind.

He didn't want to let the same expression appear on Leon's face. He didn't want to see Leon walking away like Zack.

Bursting out of his door, Cloud hollered down the corridor.

" Leon!"

It took a while before the brunet stuck his head out of the guestroom, blinking in confusion. He looked so adorably puzzled and hopeful at the same time that Cloud had to forcibly hold back a chuckle. Leon /hated/ it when people said he was adorable or cute.

"The guestroom's… kinda dusty, isn't it?"

"I'll… manage."

And Cloud felt the strangest urge to tease his boyfriend.

"Oh, is that so? I was just thinking that if you couldn't manage, you could just… you know, head over to my room for the night. But since you can manage…"

A quick succession of expressions flew through Leon's face, so quick Cloud wasn't sure he had caught them all. Resignation, shock, bewilderment, joy, jubilation, pure ecstasy…A heady sensation invaded Cloud's mind. Could he really make this man – this handsome, wonderful, amazing man who had so many girls' devotion and worship – so /happy, simply by telling him he could come over?

It made Cloud feel sad and happy at the same time.

Smiling like a man who had fallen completely in love and happily basking in it, Leon quickly answered, "I don't think I can manage after all."

Cloud chuckled, the heady sensation bubbling in his head again. "Come on over, then."

Leon did not have to be told twice. In a matter of seconds, he was already standing before Cloud, his bag in hand, looking awfully pleased. He did not, however, enter the room, because the blond was blocking the way.

Bizarre could probably describe the situation, because the moment Leon was at his door, Cloud started to feel more than a little flustered. He wasn't sure what had possessed him to invite Leon to sleep in his room after all that ruckus earlier, but it had seemed like a good idea at that time. Now though, seeing how… enthusiastic Leon was, Cloud thought he might have done something wrong. To himself, that is. But he couldn't find it in his heart to make Leon walk all the way back to the guestroom and clean it up for the night. Leon had the cutest and most sympathy-stirring kicked-puppy look whenever he was disappointed…

Swallowing his unease, he looked into Leon's eyes.

"The bed is kinda small, so it's going to be really cramped in there. I imagine we're going to erm, sleep really close together. But…" –he swallowed- "Just… don't you dare do anything funny, alright? If you do anything out of bounds, I swear I'll kick you out of my room faster than you can say you're sorry."

Beside him, Yuffie was snickering aloud. "I don't mean to be a party pooper, Cloudster, but how do you intend to kick Squally-Mr-Kendo-expert-Wally, out of your room if that happens?"

That realization, Cloud thought, came rather belatedly. But Leon's sincere reply quickly put his mind at ease.

"Promise," he said simply, a gentle smile tugging at his lips. Then, as if to seal the promise, he bent down slightly and planted a soft and sweet kiss to Cloud's lips. Leaning back, he flicked Cloud's forehead playfully. "Promise," he repeated.

Somehow, that little affectionate gesture seemed to redeem Leon in Cloud's eyes, and the blond quietly nodded, allowing the other to turn off the lights and crawl into his bed with him.

The bed was, true to Cloud's earlier comments, a tad too small for the two teenagers. The springs creaked loudly in protest at the extra weight, and Cloud cringed when one spring made a particularly loud noise. Still, despite hating those noises, he wriggled close to the edge of the bed, further away from Leon, who had taken to sleeping closer to the wall. Actually, since the bed was just beside the wall, the brunet seemed to be sleeping right against that concrete.

Not for long though, because the moment Cloud actually thought to ask Leon if the brunet was alright with the lack of space and was about to turn around to ask his question, he felt a hand grab his waist and pull him close. Before he could even squeak, however, he was already half-sprawled over Leon, body flushed against his, thigh to thigh, torso to torso. His head was held down protectively onto Leon's warm chest, and he could almost hear the other's steady heartbeats. And then Leon's fingers were running through his hair with a sort of reverence that nearly took his breath away.

He barely found his voice to protest weakly, "Le-Leon… I said nothing funny, remember?"

Leon's hand in Cloud's tresses drummed their fingers playfully before dragging a tantalizing caress down his scalp, his neck, the side of his body, and finally stopping at his waist. His other hand clasped Cloud's, pulling it upwards to his lips and pressing a chaste kiss to the back of it, humming softly as he did so.

This tenderness, this affection, this fondness… it just about wore down Cloud's resolve. Still, he managed to summon up enough sense to whine, " Leon…"

The brunet gazed down at him, grinning lopsidedly.

"I'm not laughing, you're not laughing. I wouldn't call this a funny thing, Cloud, so I should be allowed to hold you like this."

"…If that was a joke, it's not funny."

"See? You agree it's not funny."

But apparently, Yuffie thought that was the funniest thing ever, because she was laughing her head off, clutching at her stomach and pounding relentless on the ground. If she wasn't already dead, she would probably have laughed herself to the grave. Perhaps she'd still be laughing /inside/ her coffin, in fact, judging from the way her laughter couldn't seem to subside.

Cloud pouted, both at Leon's answer and Yuffie's amusement. He would never gain an upper hand with either of them, it seemed. And whatever protest he could dredge up from the depths of his mind wasn't going to help in any way, because knowing Leon, the brunet would have a ready response for it. Not that Cloud really wanted to protest much. Somehow, this position wasn't really very uncomfortable… Sighing, he braced himself for a night in such a compromising position, snuggling a little to make himself more comfy. He felt Leon shift underneath, allowing him space to move.

After that, silence.

Dead silence.

Very dead silence.

But actually, the room wasn't silent. It wasn't silent at all. Faint breathing, barely veiled laughter, and even crickets' chirping permeated every corner of the room. The problem was, the school toughest and beefiest bully could be caterwauling and dancing around the room in a pink tutu, and Cloud wouldn't have noticed. Or Seifer could be wearing that pink tutu and read a public announcement about how he actually /liked/ being in the pink tutu, and Cloud would still not have noticed a thing out of the ordinary.

Instead, the blond could only feel the body underneath his own, carefully breathing in and out, chest moving up and down, and a heart pounding so hard he could start counting the beats. It took him a moment to recognize that pounding heart as his own, and he gulped, a hot blush creeping up upon him.

How was Cloud supposed to be able to go to sleep in such… awkwardness? Was it even possible…?

Yuffie swooned. She wanted a camera, damn it! She wanted a camera so she could take photos of these sweet moments and sell them to fangirls and boys! Cloud was such a sweetie, and Leon such a cheeky boyfriend. Yuffie never thought she would call Leon cheeky, but there was seriously no other word for it. Leon was being cheeky tonight, and cheeky was good! There was little to no possibility of getting Cloud into that sort of position otherwise. Now, if only she could get some photos!

Back in the bed, Cloud was unaware of his best friend's problems, too concerned with his own to look in her direction. Awkward, awkward, awkward… How does one dispel awkwardness?

"Le-Leon? Are you asleep?"

"Not yet. You want to talk?"

It surprised Cloud that Leon always seemed to know, eight times out of ten, what he wanted without being told.

"Hmm…" he hummed, thinking of something to get the ball rolling. He said the first thing that came to his mind. "What's wrong between you and Seifer, anyway? I mean, it seems that you two can't stand being within fifty feet of one another. Did something happen before? It's not me, is it?"

Leon tensed for a moment at the sound of his rival's name, face twitching at the topic. Somehow, that bastard could still butt into his precious time with his boyfriend when they were already lying in bed together…

"Of course not. It's got nothing to do with you. Seifer and I… our dislike towards each other goes way back. We're neighbours, you know? Just a few houses down. Our parents knew each other, and so the two of us always got dumped together and told to play nice while our parents had tea and cakes. Things didn't go really well, as you can probably tell; we're both extremely competitive people, and somehow, we just don't like each other. I'm not exactly sure why, but sometimes you just don't like a person at face-value. So we never became friends."

"Uh huh. It doesn't sound as bad as the way things are now. So when did things become, well… so bad?"

Leon thought about it for a moment, unconsciously tightening his hold on his boyfriend.

"I think… it was in junior high, when we both had our eyes on the same girl."

"Girl?" Cloud and Yuffie exclaimed in chorus. While she tried to imagine Leon dating and probably terrorizing a girl, Cloud had immediately propped himself up on Leon's chest to look at his boyfriend in the eye. His jaw was slack, his mouth gaping, and his eyes were wide, those blues filled with swirling confusion.

In contrast, Leon's grey eyes were gleaming with a glow of happiness, mixed with some cheekiness and mischief. His lips curled lopsidedly, showing the pearly whites underneath. He looked very, very much like the cat that had eaten the canary /and/ polished off a bowl of cream. Or maybe even two bowls. On top of a plate of warm milk.

"You're… jealous?"

The way the words rolled off Leon's tongue was way too gleeful. And smug. And it made Cloud blush, even though there shouldn't be a reason for him to.

"Of… Of course not! I'm just wondering, cause you know, you're… not straight. Everybody in school knows that! So, a girl? A girl?"

Leon was highly amused that when he tried to calm Cloud down by pulling him in for a kiss, Cloud had slapped his hand away, his lips puckered up in a pout. A pout, he was sure, Cloud had absolutely no idea he was wearing. If it was at all possible, Leon thought it made his boyfriend look even more cutely attractive than he already was. And to top it off, Cloud was half-straddling him… Leon had to stamp down the urge to just reverse their position so he could pin the blond down and lean in for a deep kiss. No, Cloud wouldn't like that. Cloud already said he would kick him out of the room if he tried anything funny. Down, boy, down. Good boy. Gooood boy.

"That was before I realized I wasn't as straight as I thought I was. In fact, it was the one date I had with Rinoa that made me completely aware that I was as straight as a circle. She got pretty upset because of that," he replied, chuckling as he recalled the girl's look of absolute horror. She had gawked at him with eyes comparable with a goldfish's, squeaked like a broken record, and then staggered backwards into a stack of empty boxes outside the school's general office before tripping and causing all the boxes to rain down on her like hailstones. Maybe telling her right before school started, the day after their ill-fated date, hadn't been the smartest thing to do. Or kindest.

"Rinoa? Is that her name?"

"That's right. She was the school belle, and all the boys wanted to date her. I thought I had gotten lucky when she asked me out. Everyone certainly thought so. And then…" –another amused chuckle- "That one date was enough to convince me that I like boys better. Especially when I kept imagining how she would look as a blue-eyed blonde, and then after a while, I started to superimpose her image with a blue-eyed /boy/ with blond hair," he said, still chuckling. Then, after a moment, he added, almost offhandedly, "I prefer blonds over brunets actually."

Cloud frowned, pulling down a spike of hair and giving it a good, long look. It sprung right back into position when he let go.

Leon laughed.

The blond scrunched up his face, sticking out his tongue. "I hope this is not your main reason for dropping that girl or dating me. That would be so… stupid."

"Of course not," - Leon flicked his forehead again, his smile widening- "I'm dating you because you share your vanilla ice cream with me."

"…That doesn't make any sense."

"No, it doesn't," Leon conceded, but he provided no further explanation.

Pouting, Cloud flicked his forehead in return, the same way Leon had flicked his just a while ago. When the brunet did not flinch at all (not that Cloud /actually/ expected him to), they mock-glared at each other, their eyes locking and flaring up. Suddenly, Cloud's hands shot out, latching onto Leon's cheeks quickly, pinching and pulling.

"He-hey!" Leon tried to pry his hands off but to no avail, because every time he succeeded, Cloud's hands would be back at his cheeks almost immediately. Instinctively, in retaliation, he jumped up, pushing his boyfriend off and quickly flipping them around. In one swift move, he had Cloud pinned right beneath him. He grinned wolfishly when Cloud's eyes widened incredulously, squeaks emitting from his throat and a crazy blush colouring his face.

Yuffie squealed. Fangirl material! The uke getting pinned underneath his seme was the classic and must-have scene in all shounen-ai relationships! If she could, Yuffie would have drawn out this scene for a doujinshi and sell the book at all anime and shounen-ai conventions! She would catapult Leon and Cloud into stardom! With such a handsome seme and cute uke (though the blond would scream if he heard her say this word in his face), her doujinshi would surely become a best-seller! Gods, if only she could hold a pen and paper to sketch out this beautiful, gorgeous, amazing scene! She further swooned and melted when Leon started to speak again, his voice conniving and low, not much louder than a whisper.

"Admit it. You're jealous."

"I'm not!"

"Admit it, or I'll…" The sentence was left hanging in the air when Leon decided to carry out Cloud's 'punishment' just for the heck of it anyway.

Cloud yelped, yet he couldn't help but laugh like a crazed man, guffawing and chortling like there was no tomorrow. How did Leon know he was ticklish at his stomach? His hands darted down to stop Leon, but it was kinda hard to do anything, really, when he couldn't stop his insane laughter. Desperate, he squirmed and wriggled, and when that failed, he started to flail his arms wildly, hoping against hope that he would somehow get a good hit in and get Leon off him. It didn't happen. Instead, he found both his arms pinioned at the wrist, over his head. And Leon still had one free hand to continue tickling him.

"Le- Le- Leon! Stop!"

"Admit you're jealous!"

"But I'm…! No, sto-stop!"

"Admit it!"

Cloud wanted to have a bit more backbone, but it was kind of difficult when he was still trapped underneath the brunet who looked like he had no qualms about tickling him crazy if Cloud did not give him what he wanted.

"Okay, okay! I give!"

As if on cue, the tickling ceased. Cloud pounced on that chance to heave and wheeze, trying his best to capture all the oxygen into his burning lungs and stop that horrible, horrible pain in his sides. Once he felt a little better, he blinked his eyes rapidly, attempting to force out the tears in his eyes. But he was still far from stopping his gasps.

Leon felt his eyes twitch almost violently, a bolt of thrill shooting down his body to where a heat was gathering. Gods, oh gods! Why had he promised Cloud that he would not attempt anything? His little boyfriend looked absolutely delicious as he lay sprawled out across the bed, pinned underneath him, almost looking like he was begging to be devoured. Those lips were slightly open, gasping for air and moaning in pain. Those eyes were half-drooped, his long lashes casting faint shadows on his flushed face. Those blues were shiner than usual, the tears gleaming and threatening to overflow. Those cheeks were dusted scarlet, glowing with a sort of inner glow.

Cloud was beautiful.

…Surely Cloud wouldn't object to a little lip-locking, would he?

No! He had promised Cloud. Bad thoughts! Baaaaaad thoughts! Leon had to shake his head to forcibly throw those thoughts out of his mind. As further distraction, he decided to press on for what had led to the tickling attack in the first place.

"C'mon, say it now. Admit you're jealous."

Cloud sighed deeply, rolling his eyes. "Fine, I'm jealous. Happy?"

Obviously, because on top of looking like he had just downed a canary, at least two bowls of cream and a plate of warm milk, Leon the cat looked like he had also polished off the pet goldfish. And the pet guppy. And the guppy's children and grandchildren.

"Hmm. Silly Cloud. You don't have to feel threatened by her. Or by anyone else, for that matter. Ever."

Cloud felt his heart skip a beat, his eyes unable to move away from the other's grey eyes that had caught his breath so thoroughly. He couldn't stop the words from flowing. "Ever…?"

"Ever," Leon repeated gently with an expression that could only be seen as fond exasperation, tapping Cloud's nose lightly as though chastising him softly.

Words clambered up Cloud's throat, waiting to be spoken/begging/ to be spoken, and yet, they all died on his tongue. Cloud wanted to know so much. He wanted to understand how Leon could treat him this tenderly, dote on him so gently. He wanted to know what he had done to get Leon's attention in the first place. He wanted to see what Leon saw in him.

But he forced those questions down.

Instead, he swallowed and averted his gaze. And when Leon slumped back into bed beside him, he quickly hid his face in Leon's broad chest, clinging onto his shoulders. It made him feel safe, especially when a soft chuckle rumbled in the brunet's throat, bubbling in his chest, and he felt himself tucked deeper into Leon's embrace.

"So… what happened? After you broke up with Rinoa."

"Well… after we broke up, she started to date Seifer. But things didn't go well between them either - though I'm not really sure what happened - and they broke up a couple of weeks later. I heard she went to an all-girls high school after graduation, but I don't know where."

"You're not in contact with her?"

"No."

"Really?"

"Really. I wouldn't lie to you."

"Hmm." Cloud thought that over for a bit, knowing that he should probably just shut up already or risk sounding like a jealous idiot again. And he really didn't have a reason to feel that wretched way. But his mouth just kept running away from him, and before he could even stop himself, the words were already out. "So you don't have her phone number, her email, her address, anything at all?"

"None at all."

There was another light tap on his temple, as though teasing him for asking all the weird questions. "You're a jealous little chocobo, aren't you?"

"Jea- Jealous?" Cloud gasped, pushing himself off Leon's chest. "And a chocobo? I'm not a jealous little chocobo!"

Leon looked at him lazily, a sluggish smile tugging at his lips. His hands were casually hooked around Cloud's waist.

"Alright, fine. You're not /a/ jealous little chocobo. You're /my/ jealous little chocobo. It's got a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

Strangely enough, there was, despite the amount of smugness in Leon's tone was probably enough to drown someone. Cloud's only problem was being labeled jealous when he wasn't. Really, what reason did he have for being jealous? Leon wasn't his real boyfriend. They were going to break up one day. It was only a matter of time. So why was he jealous? Why should he be jealous?

He would never win an argument against Leon, so Cloud decided to continue their earlier topic of conversation. That, and also because his mind was ordering him to stop dwelling on the obvious.

"So you're not in contact with Rinoa anymore. And what happened after that? Between you, her and Seifer."

"Nothing really, except I met Seifer in high school again and we carried our rivalry into kendo. I've not heard from Rinoa since graduation. And we aren't really on talking terms anymore, not after we broke up. I think I traumatized her too much. She got this wild look in her eyes every time she saw me after that." Leon chuckled.

"Your preference for blue-eyed blondes… are all of your boyfriends before me blue-eyed blondes too?"

"Still jealous, I see," Leon said mischievously, allowing Cloud to pinch his cheek again for a little retaliation. "Well, to answer that question, yes. Not that I had a lot of boyfriends before you, of course. Just two. And you know what they say… third time's the charm." His voice went low and sensual, hands slipping down to tease the thin line between Cloud's waist and his sweet behind, hinting to Cloud about what he really wanted to do.

But Cloud just had to go and spoil the mood.

"And Seifer? He /is/ a blond…"

Leon gave him a look, and Cloud felt like an utter idiot for even allowing that thought to cross his mind.

"You really don't have to worry about me getting together with Seifer because the possibilities of that happening are about as high as Tidus getting enough backbone to refuse Selphie for once, or even as high as Roxas accepting Riku with wide open arms and sending Sora straight into his lap."

Cloud had to hide a snigger at that. He could actually imagine Tidus refusing Selphie – and going down onto his knees right after that to beg for his girlfriend's forgiveness – and he could even imagine Roxas accepting Riku. Not with wide, open arms, but he would at least grudgingly accept the silver-haired boy. But the image of Roxas sending his younger brother into Riku's lap, made even more incredibly unbelievable by Cloud's over-imaginative mind, was atrociously amusing. Cloud thought he saw Roxas bowing down on the ground with Sora sitting on a silver platter beside him, and when Riku the king stood up from his throne, Roxas quickly and very respectfully pushed Sora towards him. It was almost impossible to not laugh at that mental image.

But Leon's next words were quick to make him choke.

"In any case, I think Seifer likes you. He won't talk to anybody he doesn't like for more than a minute, and he even offered to lend you his stuff. I'd say that's very strange for him."

He stared at Leon pointedly. "You're kidding me. Not possible."

"It is, when it's him," Leon replied solemnly, even sounding a bit riled up. Then he thought for a moment, smiled faintly, and added, "And also when it's you. You're cute enough for that."

* * *

Leon probably had no idea how cute he was being himself, Yuffie sighed dreamily. Oh gods! For the past twenty minutes, she had been so close to /melting/ into a puddle of goo, all because the two were acting out the perfect script for a shounen-ai doujinshi! It was so sweet it nearly gave Yuffie cavities. In fact, the sheer mushiness had already given her goosebumps, but it was a wonderful mushiness she wouldn't mind swooning over forever.

She'd never thought that Squally-Wally would actually be jealous of anyone though. True to his lion-like moniker, Leon was acting like a male lion protecting his territory, prowling around and snarling at anyone who dared to come too close. And it seemed that his protectiveness had been kicked into overdrive by the appearance of one Seifer Almasy. That man was probably the reason why Leon was being so touchy-feeling the whole night. It probably was the thing that prompted Leon into Cloud's bed too.

Leon's possessiveness worried Yuffie somewhat, actually. She vaguely wondered just how /long/ had Leon been crushing on her blond friend, and just /what/ the blond had done to garner such attention and affection. Thinking back on it, Yuffie never did find out the answers for any of those, despite her repeated harassment of the brunet. That guy's lips were sealed tighter than air-sealed vacuum packs when he wanted to. Hmph.

And was it simply because of Leon's temper that he was so easily jealous? So was it a personality problem or was Leon just feeling… insecure – gods, Yuffie had never dreamed of even using that accursed word and Leon in the same paragraph, let alone the same sentence – about his new relationship with Cloud? With Cloud still adamant about an eventual breakup, she knew that things wouldn't turn out very pretty in the end.

Then, Cloud flicked Leon's forehead again, and Leon retaliated with another cheeky grin, which led the two into playing around a little again. Yuffie wondered if those two knew they had been doing those few disgustingly cute actions over and over again the entire night, but it didn't really matter. What /did/ matter was that, somehow, despite everything Cloud had said and done, they just looked like the perfect couple. Maybe things wouldn't turn out /too/ bad… Oh, of course things were going to be fine, if the two were already playfully fighting again, laughing as wildly as they were.

Yuffie would have whistled if she wasn't afraid of spoiling the mood and stunning Cloud out of his rare mischievous streak. Instead, she imagined herself doing a commentary of the scene to shounen-ai fangirls.

And now Leon's pinned Cloud onto the bed again! God, how hot is that? Cloud's down for the count! Ten! Nine! Eight! Sev- Oh wait! It seems that Cloud is not happy about the sudden turn of events, and he's launching a counter-attack! He kicks wildly to the side, but none of his attacks are even /close/ to getting Leon off him! But that's only to be expected: Leon's much too strong to be kicked off by those sweet lithe legs, if Leon's muscular arms are anything to go by! Friggin' strong arms, I tell you! Getting held in those arms is a girl's dream come true!

And those abs! Talking about abs, it seems that Leon has marked them out as Cloud's weakness, and so he's quickly launching part two of his infamous tickle attack on Cloud's tummy! And now Cloud's squirming like craaaaaazy! Personally, he reminds me of a worm trying to fidget itself out of a tight spot! Oh yeah, that /is/ kinda tight… Their pants, that is! If they're both not pitching tents by now, I have no idea what's wrong with them! And now Cloud is wheezing like he's just ran a couple hundred laps with ardent but unwanted pursuers hot on his heels! His current expression is so /hot/ I have no words for it! The temperature here is certainly sky-rocketing! And Leon apparently thinks so too, because he is blushing like hell! Yes, you heard me right! Squally "Ice Prince" Wally is /blushing! And woah! What is that evil gleam in his eyes? Oh yes Leon! Just do it!

She clamped a hand over her mouth to conceal her squeals when Leon finally gave into his impulse and kissed Cloud.

She had to forcefully bite her hand to stop her squeals from reaching those two when Cloud pulled Leon down to deepen the kiss.

* * *

He had only meant for one kiss.

One short, chaste kiss to end the night.

Even though he had made Leon promise him that he wouldn't attempt anything, Cloud actually didn't mind one kiss. In fact, he /wanted/ the one kiss. He could have blamed the tension in the room, the strange feelings the night was stirring in his belly, or even the seemingly still and dense air hanging over them like a cloak. Cloud could have blamed everything and anything for the sudden desire for a kiss.

But if he were completely honest with himself, he knew it was because he truly wanted it. The desire came from within, burning in his throat and bubbling in his stomach. It was a good feeling. He liked it.

So when Leon's mouth descended onto his, he did not resist. Just one kiss, he thought. Just one.

Yet, that simple contact was enough to fan even the smallest flames of passion, and his hands found life of their own, snaking back to cup Leon's nape and pulling him down, desperate for more of that heat's intensity. And when Leon's hand ran a teasing line down his torso, it was as though he was leaving behind a searing trail of fire that could not be extinguished. Only with more of that desirable touch could they be satisfied, their thirst be quenched. If Cloud was a fire, then Leon was the oil that kept him blazing. He gasped; the heat that had suddenly materialized in him earlier was steadily growing into a raging inferno, threatening to swallow him whole. His nerves were burning under Leon's every whispering touch and caress; his skin was screaming in a foreign mix of pain and pleasure; his lips was smoldering.

It was heaven and hell at the same time.

He wanted to demand Leon to prolong their kiss forever, but he didn't, because that would require them stop kissing for a second, and Cloud would rather spend that one second deepening their kiss and be thoroughly kissed. He groaned when he felt Leon lowering his body, bringing them closer and increasing the heat's intensity that he knew would lead to an amazing culmination. His arms left Leon's nape, crawling down the other's back meaningfully, feeling his muscles through the thin fabric of his shirt. The touch sent a bolt of delight down Leon's spine, tearing an unrepressed, startled sound from his throat, a cross between a groan and a shout.

A wave of satisfaction washed over Cloud.

And Leon was still kissing and touching him, worshipping his body with such reverence and awe like he never wanted to stop. One of the brunet's hands was busying itself with Cloud's collar. In a matter of seconds, the first three buttons of his pajamas were already undone, and Leon moved down to lick his neck fervently, followed by a quick succession of butterfly kisses. The next kisses were relatively longer, but just as light and sweet.

Cherished.

Treasured.

Loved.

Those feelings raced across Cloud's mind, imprinting themselves onto his heart. He merely groaned loudly, more wantonly, and let Leon continue to lavish attention on his neck. Leon's smirk was something he felt rather than saw.

Then, suddenly, a hand slithered down to the waistband of his pants, and Cloud stiffened, much too shocked to make any noises apart from a sharp intake of air. For the next few moments, everything felt like an out-of-the-world experience; it was almost like his soul had flew out of his body, and he was looking at everything unfolding in someone else's body. As though finally realizing how rigid he was and in an attempt to relax him, he felt Leon nuzzle the hollow of his neck respectfully, pressing loving kisses there.

It worked, but only until Leon's fingers hooked themselves in Cloud's waistband, pulling it down slowly but surely.

With an earth-shattering yell, Cloud threw Leon off the bed.

* * *

With a frustrated pout and a hot blush adorning his face, Cloud looked like the epitome of cuteness. The cuteness factor was turned up to the max when he curled up in his bed cross-legged, gathering his blanket around his body like it was some sort of protective barrier, and glaring at the closed (and locked) door when the poor piece of wood had done nothing to raise his ire.

It did, however, keep the person who did outside.

"Cloud! I'm sorry! Let me in!"

Like that was going to help now, Cloud snorted as he pulled his blanket closer.

"Cloud!" Bang. Pound. Bang. Pound. Pound.

Poor door.

In contrast to the blond's scowling pout, Yuffie was grinning lopsidedly as she shook her head in amusement at the funniest scenario she had ever had the privilege of seeing. Just minutes ago, Leon had tumbled down the bed in a wild flail of limbs, hitting the ground with a dull 'thud' and a deep groan. And then before the brunet could even react, he had been thrown out of the room with a combination of pushes, shoves and kicks. Since then, he'd been standing outside of Cloud's bedroom, occasionally pounding on the door and shouting his frenzied apologies. Something about losing control because the blond was just too damned cute for his own good and it would be against Leon's conscience if he did not ravish him.

Well, something like that.

Of course, that didn't mean the brunet had actually /said/ all those things out loud, but Yuffie had ears trained to listen carefully to this sort of things and read between the lines. In fact, she was so good at it that the last time a classmate had offhandedly mentioned how she wished the boy she had a crush on would somehow just understand her feelings, Yuffie had read so much into it and saw it as a hint for her to help. That was why she had immediately raced up to the boy and told him about the girl's crush. To this day, Yuffie still had no idea why the girl nearly smacked her.

Shrugging that off, she dipped down to Cloud's level, hovering over his bed.

"Are you going to keep him stewing outside your room the whole night?"

He shot daggers at her, but luckily, his glare was quickly redirected to the door when Leon shouted again.

"Cloud! I'm really sorry! Please let me in! Cloud!"

"You promised you wouldn't do anything! Jerk!"

"I didn't mean to break my promise! It… It just happened!"

"JERK!"

"You know, technically, Leon didn't break his promise. He promised you that he wouldn't do anything funny, and there was nothing funny about what he did. After all, neither of you were laughing," Yuffie supplied helpfully, hiding a snigger behind her hand.

Cloud looked like he wanted to revive Yuffie for the sole purpose of killing her himself. "Traitor!" he snarled low in his throat.

It hardly fazed her, and her grin was just as wide as before. "You actually look more flustered and embarrassed than angry, you know that? I bet you enjoyed Leon's oh-so-sweet kisses and skillful hands," – she raised a dramatic hand to her forehead and looked skywards – "Oh Yuffie! Leon's kisses have this way of making me feel cherished! You'd understand it if you just let him kiss you once!"

"Yuffie!"

She held up her hands. "Hey, I'm just repeating what you said to me."

That did not help ease the intensity of Cloud's glare. If anything, he was glaring even harder at her, even though it was tinged with some embarrassment and frustration.

"Oh c'mon, Cloud! Just forgive Leon already. It's normal for a guy to want to kiss his boyfriend. And you like kissing him anyway, so what have you got to lose? I'd say it's a win-win situation. Just let Leon inside and snuggle up to him while the two of you share your bed. That would be so sweet."

"…He promised to keep his hands to himself. And despite that promise, I still let him hold me like that! But was he satisfied? No!"

Yuffie pouted, muttering under her breath, "But you sure seemed like you were enjoying all that groping, moaning and clawing at his back like there was no tomorrow…" She quickly shut up when Cloud's sharp gaze came sweeping her way again. Sometimes, Cloud could be pretty scary too. "Anyway! You can't just let Leon stay outside the whole night. Let him in or something."

"I choose 'something'. He knows there's a guestroom, so he can just sleep there," Cloud said, shrugging. There was still a bit of the pout remaining in his lips. Yuffie snickered. The blond was definitely miffed, but it was a cute sort of miff that would no doubt cause Leon's eyes to light up. Too bad he was currently outside, still pounding on the door.

However, apart from the slight annoyance, Yuffie could tell there was another reason why Cloud was keeping Leon outside. Normally, the blond wasn't that hard-hearted, and they both knew from experience that the corridor outside his room could be like a freezer at night sometimes. No, if there wasn't something else, Cloud wouldn't keep Leon out. And as much as the blond tried to appear unbothered, Yuffie knew him long enough to be able to read the nuances in his body language, the little knit of his brows, the small and almost invisible pout, the way he was wrapping the blanket so closely to himself…

"You're worried about something."

Cloud peered at her, and when she refused to look away, he sighed deeply. She'd hit the nail on the head again.

"C'mon, 'fess up," she said, crossing her arms.

It took him a while, but eventually Cloud decided to talk. His decision was partly because the noise outside had completely died down; Leon had probably already given up and retreated to the guestroom. He didn't want Leon to hear anything.

"I… I'm not just worried, Yuffie. I'm scared." His voice was so low and soft that she had to strain her ears to catch the words, and when she did, she blinked.

"Scared? Of what? Of Leon?"

Cloud shook his head resolutely. "Not him. I'm… scared of myself, of what I'm feeling, of what he makes me feel."

Realization dawned on her, and she couldn't help smiling. Leon had definitely covered a lot of ground in his relationship with Cloud, so much so that the blond was feeling inadequacy. Maybe he was finally starting to understand his own feelings. "Silly Cloud. It's normal to feel that way when you're falling in love."

"I'm not falling in love!" he exclaimed heatedly, and when he finished, he gasped, his hand flying to his mouth. It was still quiet outside. Sighing in relief, he added in a much softer voice, sheepishly, "At least, I don't think so."

"Cloud, there's no need to be scared about falling in love. Sure, it's that scary emotion we always see in Hollywood flicks, where the girl always gets hurt by the boy, blah blah blah. The point is: they're still happy in the end! No need to be so pessimistic!"

"No, you don't understand. That's not what I'm worried about," Cloud replied softly, shaking his head as he did so. Biting down on his lower lip, he struggled with his words, frowning deeply and looking at nowhere in particular. Finally, in frustration, he looked at his friend again. "What if I /am/ falling in love, but not with Leon?"

She blinked. "Is there someone else? Seifer?"

"No!" he whispered harshly, aghast at the suggestion. And then his face fell once more into worry. "I mean… what if I'm falling in love with love? I really, really like spending time with Leon, and he's really good to me! I never thought there'll be someone other than my parents and you who'd be willing to do all the things he does for me! That's why I'm worried, and that's why I can't let him back inside my room. What if I fall in love with all the things he does for me and not him? It'd be so… unfair to Leon. You know what I mean?"

"Well, if you feel that way, I can't stop you. But you should know this: if you never let Leon and yourself try, you'll never know the answer. Maybe you just need to spend some more time with him and you'll know. Sometimes," –she sighed deeply- "when you like someone, it's not a love at first sight thing. It's a long process. And even if you keep telling yourself that you don't like him, you'll find that you're just lying to yourself."

Cloud gazed at her intently, as though hoping to find something in the facial expression that so did not suit her bouncy attitude to life. "Do you… do you like someone?"

Strangely enough, her wistful expression immediately dissipated like it had never been there in the first place. "Nah, of course not! I'm just… feeling for you and Leon, you know? Anyway, time to go to bed! Maybe you'll get an answer when you wake up tomorrow." She grinned brightly.

Cloud returned her grin with a nod. "I suppose you're right. By the way, could you check if Leon is still outside?"

She gave him a knowing smirk before shooting off, her legs dangling in his room while the rest of her body had already passed through the wooden door to peer outside. She came back inside a while later.

"He's still outside, sitting beside your door. But no worries! I doubt he heard us earlier. You were so soft even I had problems hearing everything, let alone him. Apparently, he just came back from the guestroom, after grabbing a blanket there. A pretty dusty one, I might add. Are you sure you won't let him in? Or at least open the door and tell him to sleep in the guestroom for tonight?"

"Knowing him, the moment I open the door, he'll dash in and I won't be able to kick him out again. And if I yell through the door, he's going to start yelling back and ask me to open the door," he whined, rolling his eyes. "The corridor can get very cold at night, so I think he'll go to the guestroom after a while. Yeah, that only makes sense. Right, Yuffie? And don't you dare possess me this time. If I always give in to him, he'll never learn his lesson. He'll just have to sleep in the guestroom tonight."

For once, Yuffie agreed with Cloud. Cloud had to stand up against his boyfriend sometimes or risk being a wimp. So she shrugged, and quickly darted into the closet –her favourite sleeping spot nowadays- after saying 'good night'.

Cloud turned off the lights and quickly dozed off. He would deal with Leon in the morning. Probably get angry a bit more and then make Leon apologize. More vanilla ice cream that way.

Neither of them heard a series of sneezes outside Cloud's room.

-tbc-

**Teaser for next chapter:** In which Leon falls ill, Cloud plays nurse for him, Cloud's mother knowingly or unknowingly pushes them closer together, and Yuffie... well, Yuffie is just Yuffie.

**Author's note:** Just three short announcements here, all pertaining to the future of _Vanilla_.

Firstly, I have already started working on chapter 6, and from what I can tell, it is highly recommended that you read chapter 3 of _Vanilla Soufflé_ before the next chapter of _Vanilla_.

Secondly, future chapters of my fics (all of them, probably) will be coming much slower. This is mainly due to the abominations called 'Real Life', 'Stress' and 'School'. /cries/

Thirdly, please feed the author if you like this chappie. It seems that the more I write, the more worried I get that the latest installments of this fic is not living up to expectations. So do review if there's something in this chapter that you like! Thanx!


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Vanilla part 6

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: LxC

Warnings: AU, romance, sap, fluff, humour, OOC-ness

Word count: 12226

Rating: R

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to lay claim to Cloud, I'm kinda scared of Leon's gunblade. So well, I don't own Kingdom Hearts and its character, and neither do I own the various Final Fantasies and their characters.

Note: This fic is inspired by the Japanese manga _Eerie Queerie. _And this fic's theme song is Gackt's _Vanilla_. /sniggers/

Summary: Cloud's only friend, Yuffie, had just died a few weeks ago. However, Yuffie can't move on to the next world and so she follows Cloud around in his daily life. And she just can't resist the opportunity to play the finest prank on Cloud by possessing his body and confessing to someone… LxC

* * *

A beam of light peeked into the room, striking Cloud relentlessly. He groaned and raised a hand to his eyes, hoping to keep out the heat and the light. It worked, but only for a few minutes until the light invaded more and more of his room, inch by inch. When it was finally apparent that he was losing the battle, Cloud groaned again and threw off his covers in a swift move, not caring if they fell onto the ground at all. With a deep sigh, he set his feet on the ground, shivering when a chill traveled up his legs. He pushed himself off his bed only when he had gotten used to the temperature.

Yawning, Cloud rubbed at his eyes. He blinked when he felt his pajamas shirt slip off one shoulder, suddenly feeling like it had gotten bigger overnight. Peering down at his shirt, he frowned when he noticed that the top three buttons of his shirt were unfastened. And then, the memories of last night came to him like a strike of lightning.

Leon's warm breath on his lips, claiming them for a deep, sensual kiss. Leon's fingers running teasing lines down his throat, eventually unbuttoning his shirt. Leon's lips on his neck, kissing its way to his collarbone. Leon's hands whispering down his body, tugging on his... Argh! Stop thinking about it!

Cloud patted his cheeks softly, as though chiding himself for remembering all those things. However, those lingering touches seemed to be still whispering across his body tenderly, making them so impossible to forget. He blushed hotly.

Stupid Leon! Why did he make him feel this way? What right did he have? Vaguely, Cloud wondered where the brunet was now. Probably sleeping soundly in the guestroom, oblivious to all the anguish he was inflicting on Cloud. He pouted with a 'humph'. It was so unfair. Cloud silently resolved to sneak up to Leon in the guestroom and pour a bucket of icy water on him.

And then he opened the door, and he heard a soft snoring nearby. It couldn't be Yuffie; that girl's legs were still dangling out of his closet, so she was too far to be the one snoring. Cloud blinked as realization -the only possible explanation there was- dawned on him, and he almost gasped. Biting his tongue, he looked down to the side of his door, and he nearly squeaked in surprise at the sight of that familiar figure, still wrapped in a thin and dusty blanket sitting against the wall, fast asleep.

Leon! Gods, had Leon slept outside his room the whole night? Idiot! Didn't he understand the concept of sleeping in the guestroom because the corridor was cold? What if he fell sick? Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!

Cloud quickly knelt down, but once he was at Leon's level, he suddenly found himself unsure of what to do. Should he wake Leon up? But Leon looked like hell warmed over, somehow… Those bags under his eyes were like pins pricking at Cloud's heart, making him feel a twinge of pain and guilt. So should he let Leon continue to sleep? But the corridor wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep in… Knowing that the brunet had probably spent a night sleeping on the wooden floor just about sent Cloud on another guilt trip.

Quickly, he made up his mind.

" Leon? Leon? Wake up! C'mon, let's move you to the guestroom… Leon!" Cloud coaxed softly, gently shaking his boyfriend awake.

Leon groaned at first, breathing in deeply. And then those grey eyes fluttered open slowly, seemingly unfocused and distant. He blinked several times, adjusting his position against the wall as he did so. It probably didn't feel good to sleep out in the corridor, Cloud thought again. A stab of guilt pierced his heart. Then Leon's vision finally cleared up.

"…Cloud?"

" Leon! You're awake! C'mon, let's get you out of here," Cloud said softly, not even bothering to hide his sigh of relief. He quickly made to help Leon stand up, grabbing his arm and attempting to lift him. His efforts were thrown out of the window, however, when Leon suddenly leapt into his embrace, wrapping his strong arms around Cloud's torso in a death-grip and nestling his head against Cloud's chest.

"Le-Leon!" Cloud almost fell over, much too surprised by the sudden action. Instinctively, he wanted to push the brunet off of him, but his hands stilled on Leon's shoulders when Leon started to mumble into his pajamas.

"I'm sorry."

"…What?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do all the things I did to you last night. I mean, yes, I've always wanted to do them and last night I just couldn't stop myself, but I… I really didn't mean to push you. I never wanted to make you do anything you didn't want to. And… I'm sorry for that. Sorry," Leon sighed into Cloud's shirt, nuzzling his boyfriend's body respectfully and lovingly. In that moment, Leon actually felt like, dare Cloud think it, a sweet little puppy yearning for attention.

"…So you stayed out here the whole night? Just to… apologize to me?"

Leon raised his head to look at Cloud in the eyes. "Forgive me?"

If he wasn't Leon, Cloud would say he was definitely pouting. And it wasn't just a normal pout. It was one of those pout that made the person look irresistibly cute, sweet and cuddly, tempting others to give in without another protest. But he /was/ Leon, so it couldn't be a pout. Leon never pouted. He was… well, no matter what he was doing, it was a fact that Leon was actually looking cute and irresistible. Cloud swallowed.

Then, his eyes fell onto the bags under Leon's eyes, the tension in his body, the chapped lips, and the guilt beast pawed at Cloud's heart again. His resolve to stay mad at Leon seemed so childish all of a sudden.

Slowly, he nodded. "You have to promise you won't push me again."

A sincere smile blossomed on Leon's face. "I promise. I won't do anything you're not ready for again."

"You had better keep that promise this time because I won't go so easy on you again," Cloud mumbled and averted his gaze, feeling awkward all of a sudden. When did he start acting this way towards Leon? Everything he did and said made him feel more and more like he was Leon's little boyfriend. A tinge of redness crept up his face at that thought. The blush deepened when he suddenly realized that he really didn't seemed to mind it so much anymore.

And then he felt Leon pulling him down carefully, his breaths heavy but smooth. Shyly, Cloud let his gaze settle on his boyfriend, and when he did, he felt his body warm up. There was a fire in those grey eyes again, a passion igniting from a spark of desire leftover from last night. Within seconds, their lips had gotten so close Cloud could just feel Leon's warm breath in his face, and his stomach did a little flip. Instinctively, he let his eyes flutter close, waiting breathlessly for the soft pressure against his lips.

It was sure to come any moment now…

Suddenly, Cloud felt himself shoved away. He was so shocked at the sudden turn of events that he did not have time to react, his butt hitting the ground with a dead 'thump'. A part of him almost shouted in protest at the harsh treatment, but then he understood why when he looked up.

Leon was sneezing like crazy.

People said that if you sneezed once, something probably just irritated your nose. Two sneezes in a row, then someone was thinking about you. Three sneezes, someone was definitely cursing you. To Cloud, if you sneezed /four/ times in a row, you had a cold. A baaaad cold.

In a panicked frenzy, Cloud ran into his room to retrieve a box of tissues and quickly knelt down beside his boyfriend again, worriedly handing him tissues and watching intently. When Leon finally stopped his seemingly incessant sneezing and leaned against the wall to rest, Cloud felt the guilt beast not pawing, but extending all its claws and flailing wildly at him. Even though Leon had been silly enough to sleep outside in the corridor the whole night, it was all because of him and his hard-heartedness. If only Cloud had opened the door or at least yelled through the door…

" Leon… Are you alright?" he asked, almost timidly.

The brunet sniffed as he crumpled up a tissue. "I'll be fine. It's probably just a cold." When he noticed how distressed his boyfriend looked, he chuckled and gently patted Cloud's cheek with his clean hand. "Don't worry. Just let me sleep it off and I'll be fine."

"Come on, then. Let's get you to a bed right now."

Leon's eyes suddenly lit up with a hopeful sparkle. "Your bed?"

Cloud stilled for a moment, his eyes blinking rapidly. Since when did Leon get such a look on his face, looking like a child asking for his present on Christmas day? And it was just his bed, for god's sake! The very same one Leon had been kicked off from the previous night, in fact. That was probably why, he thought. Leon was still insistent on sleeping in his bed, even though Cloud wasn't going to be in it with him. So sighing, he nodded.

It was as though that simple nod was the best remedy in the world; Leon immediately gained enough strength to push himself off the ground, looking as healthy as he could come. Cloud was half-tempted to slap him around a couple times, until Leon faltered and a knee buckled. He staggered for a bit and he quickly held himself against the wall, arms clutching what he could but still almost falling onto the floor in a dead slump had Cloud's arms not been quick to hold him up.

Leon chuckled sheepishly, pointing to his legs. "They're a little numb."

Cloud rolled his eyes.

* * *

_Leon__'s guide to having a good date with your boyfriend (home edition): _

Swallow your pride a little and admit to your boyfriend that yes, your legs are numb, because then he will very helpfully support you all the way to his bed. And once there, he will sigh deeply and proceed to massage and rub your calves to hopefully help you regain a bit of feeling there. Do not, for whatever reasons, tell him that the moment he touches you, you start feeling a lot of things.

Subtly direct him to massage a little higher, somewhere at your thighs, and keep all moaning to a minimum. Bite your lip if you have to, because the moment you moan or give a hint about how much heat is gathering at your groin, he will squeak and jump away. In the event that he does try to scurry off with a lame excuse, put on your patented disappointed look. Not the puppy look; it's the disappointed one, the one that's even cuter than the kicked puppy look and the one that your boyfriend cannot resist. Ever. Once your boyfriend sees that look, he will pout and come back to you quietly.

Allow him to bundle you up with his blanket even if it makes you feel like a retarded kid, because for god's sake, it's your boyfriend's blanket! It smells just like him, and seeing how this may be the only way of cuddling up to his smell in bed for quite some time, stop complaining. Just keep your mouth shut and enjoy having your boyfriend fuss and baby you for once. Even if it makes you feel like a retard. Yes, even that.

Let him stick that oral thermometer in your mouth too, and make full use of the opportunity to make yourself look even sicker than you actually feel. Suppress your disappointment when the damn mercury stick determines you don't actually /have/ a fever. Darn.

When your boyfriend fetches a wet towel and starts to clean your face, lean into his touch. It will make you look irresistibly endearing and cause him to sigh with amusement, shaking his head a bit before asking you to shift a little so he can clean your neck too. Obey him, and you'll be quickly rewarded by his chuckles as he swears to god you're the biggest baby he's ever had to take care of. Just take that baby comment in stride, because you know your boyfriend is just teasing you.

On another note, try not to be too hopeful when you ask him to take off your shirt so he can help clean you up there too. But well, at least your boyfriend will blush healthily as he half-heartedly punches your shoulder.

Keep calm when your future mother-in-law pops in suddenly, having finished her shift work and has just arrived home. Cough and sneeze a few times and make yourself look tired, at which her occupational habits as a nurse will cause her to fawn over you and demand her son to take good care of you. A few more well-timed sneezes will win you your boyfriend's utmost concern and a promise to "nurse you back to health". Do take care not to cackle at the thought of your private nurse or at the mental image of your sweet boyfriend in a nurse costume. Cough to cover up if you do start cackling, however.

After your future mother-in-law heads to her own room for a well-deserved rest, gaze at your boyfriend and hope to hell that you are pulling off the pitiful look that Riku always puts on to get a kiss from Sora. If your boyfriend blushes again, you know you've got it nailed. Ask him for another massage for your poor calves that haven't quite gotten much feeling back.

Last but definitely not least, remember to smile beatifically. Especially whenever your boyfriend looks up at you with suspicion.

* * *

"So after locking him out for the entire night, you still end up letting Leon sleep in your bed. Oh, the irony!" Yuffie exclaimed dramatically, rising a hand to touch her forehead as though she had a headache. She giggled when she remembered the first thing she saw that morning, the moment she had woken up and floated out of the comfy closet. Leon was lying in Cloud's bed, completely bundled up from neck to toe like a sack of potatoes, and Cloud was reaching inside the blanket to rub his boyfriend's legs that somehow managed to remain numb for the better part of fifteen minutes. Yuffie kept hoping that Leon would shift his body and, one way or another, direct Cloud's hands somewhere more ahem, sensitive. Too bad Cloud had coughed warningly the first two times Leon tried, and Leon decided to be the obedient patient and just stopped fidgeting after that.

"Well, I can't very well leave him in the guestroom. He'll probably sneeze like crazy in his current condition, what with all that dust inside," Cloud replied as he stirred the porridge that was simmering on the stove before him. "And besides, I'm the reason why Leon has a cold now. If it makes him happy to sleep in my bed, then… why not? I just want him to recover as soon as possible now."

In Yuffie's expert opinion, Leon was more than just happy to sleep in Cloud's bed. Even 'elated' probably didn't start to describe how /ecstatic/ that brunet was, lying in Cloud's bed, all wrapped up in Cloud's blanket, and snuggling up to Cloud's pillow. He looked utterly and completely comfortable in the bed. By the time she and Cloud had left the room to prepare lunch, Yuffie was already half-expecting Leon to start sucking on his thumb or something.

"You know…" she started suddenly when a stray thought hit her, "aren't you even a little bit suspicious of Leon's cold? I mean, yeah, he probably got one because I can't imagine anyone sleeping in your corridor and /not/ getting sick… Oh, do you remember the time when we wore these Eskimo jackets and toddled up and down your corridor, back when we were much younger and I was sleeping over? Anyway, the /point/ is: maybe Leon's faking how serious his cold is!"

"For what? Falling sick isn't fun at all."

"So you'd take care of him, obviously! And considering his track record from last night, I'd say there's a huge possibility." She nodded sagely.

Cloud seemed to consider that for a moment as he dumped a small plate of minced meat into the plain pot of porridge. Beating an egg absently with a fork, he replied, "Maybe."

"Aha! So you agree with me!"

Adding a little pepper and salt into the egg, Cloud beat it again. When he was satisfied with the mix, he poured it into the pot and carefully stirred the porridge well. This lunch was going to be a blend one, he thought, but at least it was healthy. He smiled faintly as he remembered the plain white porridge Yuffie's mother used to always cook for her daughter whenever she fell ill. It was Wutaian tradition to cook a dish as plain and bland as this to help the patient recover faster, she always told Cloud during his visits, as she continued feeding spoonful after spoonful into Yuffie's waiting mouth. And even if they had migrated out of Wutai many years ago, there would be some Wutaian traditions in their lives, wherever they were or would be in the future, she said.

Yuffie's mother was always immensely proud of the fact that after a few years as their neighbours, Cloud and his mother started to adopt this tradition of theirs.

Cloud carefully ladled a little of the porridge to his lips, his tongue flicking out to catch a taste. He hummed contentedly, and with a practiced hand, turned off the stove before reaching up to pick out a bowl from the cabinets.

"Hey! Are you listening to me? You agreed with me that Leon could be faking how serious his cold is, right? So? Aren't you going to do anything about it?" Yuffie asked curiously. It wasn't that she actually /wanted/ Cloud to see through Leon's possible ploy and go on to deprive her of voyeur material. Oh no, of course not. But weighed against her prankster nature, she'd already had enough voyeur material from last night to sate her for the moment, and she would rather have a bit of fun at Leon's expense. Besides, pretending to be sick was like, one of the - if not THE - oldest tricks in the book, and Yuffie was shaving a few points off Leon's scoreboard for lack of creativity.

And after all that, Cloud, being the little soft-hearted creature that he was, would just be doubly sweet to make up for the prank anyway.

"You could, you know, add some mustard into the porridge. Or even vinegar, Tabasco, chili…" She counted them off her fingers. Vaguely, she tried to imagine Leon sputtering and coughing when he ate. Or maybe the lovesick brunet would just swallow everything down, considering that Cloud had personally prepared lunch for him, and then worship the porcelain god after Cloud left the room. She snickered.

Cloud sighed, ladling a bowl full of porridge and setting a spoon in as he did so. He loaded them onto a tray beside the stove before ladling another bowl for himself.

"Yuffie, stop coming up with ideas to bully Leon. I know he could be faking his cold, I know there's the possibility but if mum didn't say anything, who am I to say Leon's not really sick? Mum's a nurse, remember? And besides, I trust him. He's my boyfriend, isn't he? So I'll trust him one more time."

Her jaw dropped. She floated closer to her best friend since childhood, scrutinizing him like he was a specimen under the microscope, circling him several times until he fidgeted. Suddenly, she squealed and he nearly dropped the ladle.

"Yes! I've done it! You've finally admitted that he's your boyfriend!"

It was as though Cloud had only realized what just came out of his mouth only at that moment, and he blushed deeply to the tip of his ears and to the very last spike of his hair. "Th…Thanks to you! And so what if I admit it? It… it doesn't mean I love him." His voice got considerably softer as he spoke, and by the time he finished, even a mosquito's buzzing could be louder.

Yuffie snickered. "Right. Tell me when you actually start believing what you just said."

He burned up again, much to her delight and amusement.

"I… I really don't…"

"Don't what? Don't love him? Don't believe in what you just said?" she challenged, leaning forward with her arms crossed smugly.

Cloud did not reply; he was too busy looking for something interesting to stare at while willing for his blush to subside soon. Of course, the more he willed it, the redder his face got.

Yuffie continued to giggle.

* * *

Having a mum who was working as a nurse could turn out to be quite handy at times, especially when Cloud had the habit of visiting her in the hospital from time to time. Occasionally, he would be given the task of coaxing a child to eat and take his meds, because as the head nurse (who happened to be quite fond of Cloud herself) always said, children related to other children better.

As a result, Cloud has had quite the experience of dealing with brats and willful children who refuse to eat. And for some reason, tonight, he thought that all those years of accumulating those experiences were for the culmination of feeding his stubborn boyfriend.

"Come on, Leon. I made this just for you. I even added some meat and an egg to add some taste! Eat a little, at least?"

The brunet positively pouted – there was no other way to describe that protruding lip – as he stared listlessly at Cloud, who was holding up a spoonful of that, that… gruel and gently blowing over it to bring down the simmering temperature. Leon had been rather put off since discovering what his lunch was going to be, and even the cozy act of Cloud helping him up against the headboard and propping him with pillows could not ease away his distaste.

"Can't I… Can't I have something else? I don't like porridge," Leon replied warily, his eyes glued to the spoon and the excess porridge that was dripping down back into the bowl, much like slime and everything else gooey and disgusting. His father's definition of what porridge (read: glue disguised as food) meant in their house was also giving Leon a number of bad childhood memories.

Seriously, whatever it was, as long as Cloud cooked it, Leon would eat it willingly. In fact, he was dying to taste more of Cloud's culinary skills, because the little slice of butter cake Cloud had given him that one time before they hooked up was hardly enough. Even the cookies, which Cloud had given Tidus after some whining and wheedling, with which he had politely 'asked' Tidus to hand over afterwards, weren't enough either. Leon wanted more of his boyfriend's cooking.

…As long as it wasn't porridge.

Oh gods, anything but porridge.

Leon still delighted in walking down memory lane for that one particular memory. Yuffie had been bugging him for weeks after she discovered his crush on Cloud, and that day, she had directed him to the home economics room where the blond was baking some cookies. Tidus had beaten him there, and was already waiting by the windows and asking Cloud for some food by the time Leon arrived. Despite the fact that things had not exactly gone right and Leon didn't manage to get Cloud's cookies, he did, however, get a single slice of butter cake. And he had never quite forgotten the delicate taste, the exquisite flavour, and the mild sweetness lingering in his mouth and heart.

Seriously, he didn't expect Cloud to actually /bake/ him a butter cake right now. It was too much work; it was tiring; it was time consuming. But… did the replacement have to be porridge?

Why porridge, of all things?

The blond sighed, putting the bowl back onto his nightstand. He was feeling a little depressed, because it was the first time that his pout hadn't gotten Leon to give in like he always did. Before today, if Cloud wanted to coax Leon into doing something, all he had to do was pout, and Leon would quickly give into any of his whims. Ignoring Yuffie's hearty chortling – she apparently thought it was amusing to no ends that the couple were pouting at each other as though the little protrusion of their lips were the most formidable weapons- Cloud decided it was time for more drastic measures.

If there was one thing he had learned from wheedling all those kids in the hospital to eat their meals, it was that it was much easier to accomplish his task if he had some sort of reward at hand. That, on top of a bit of guilt-tripping cum pouting, usually did the trick.

"But Leon, I hate peas too, and I still ate them for you. So eat this for me too?" he cooed, grabbing his boyfriend's hands and tugging on them gently. And then he saw it: Leon's eye was twitching, and there was an invisible force tugging intently on his lips. Cloud knew his tactics were working their magic, so he quickly lowered his voice and added, "Please?"

Leon could practically hear that final 'please' in a very different situation, the word reverberating within his mind like an endless echo. He swallowed.

Yuffie was almost bursting at her seams; she was trying so hard to contain her laughter for fear that she would scare Cloud out of his sudden penchant for manipulation. And he was so good at it, too! Vaguely, she wondered where Cloud had learned to gaze at his boyfriend with the most seductive angle of his face and how he knew the way to flutter his lashes and breathe out his request. It took her a moment to realize that these skills were probably a result of spending way too much time with Leon, and the need to know how to look seductive arose from the need to get his way with Leon every once in a while.

There was absolutely no way Leon could resist this. Nu-uh, no damn way. Leon was /so/ going down. She slapped a hand over her mouth to keep her snickers from spilling.

"But…"

Ah, so the brunet was putting up one last desperate struggle. Too bad the action was akin to a butterfly desperately beating its wings to get out of a spider's sticky web.

"But I always reward you with your favourite food afterwards."

"Then I'll get you your favourite food too. What do you want? Banana crumble?" Cloud asked, remembering how surprised he had been when he discovered his boyfriend had an almost exclusive sweet tooth for the dessert despite not liking other sweet stuff. Of course, vanilla ice cream was a special exception.

Leon's eyes suddenly lit up and a sly grin graced his lips, much like how a smug hunter would react to seeing a rabbit ensnared by the iron trap he had hidden earlier. He ran a teasing finger down Cloud's right cheek, continuing on to trace the blond's jawbone before ending the trail of fire with a heart-stopping flick of his wrist. He smirked at the dazing effect his action had on his boyfriend.

"Well, it used to be banana crumble, but you know, things are always changing. My palate craves for something else now." His voice was slick, smooth and predatory. "Can I have you for my treat?"

Cloud blushed beautifully, feeling almost appalled and scandalized at the request, and those feelings were amplified by Yuffie's sudden guffaws. It was like the sluice gate for her amusement had finally been released, and she was laughing like there was no tomorrow, clutching her stomach and rolling in the air in obvious mirth. But even so, there was no denying the delighted skip in Cloud's heartbeat, nor was there any way of stopping the surges of anticipation.

Leon looked at him heatedly, those grey eyes smoldering with barely veiled passion. "Kiss me, Cloud. Kiss me."

Cloud thought his body had moved on its own accord when it did, as though under a spell and was unable to stop. Not that he wanted to. At least not until their breaths were mingling, their noses were touching, and their lips were pressed together firmly. The first kiss Cloud had ever initiated. With Leon. With anyone.

And it lasted just a fraction of a second, even though it felt much, much longer.

When Cloud finally realized what he had done, his hand flew up to his lips in shock. A stunning shade of red took over his face rapidly like an army marching victorious over the newly conquered land. His heart plummeted into a deep chasm when he noticed, out of the corner of his eyes, Yuffie's fallen jaw and bulging eyes. There was definitely no way of refuting any of Yuffie's arguments anymore; he had practically handed her the perfect ammunition himself! Almost fearing what he would see on Leon's face, Cloud let his eyes rove over slowly.

Leon was looking awfully, awfully pleased. He looked so pleased that it was ridiculous to compare Leon to a smug cat again, because for a cat to look this smug, it would have to be given the perfect belly rub and spa treatment on top of all the things it had already polished off.

Cloud's heart climbed up a few notches.

"You know, for this much porridge, I think one kiss hardly suffices." And now Leon was being cheeky again. "Maybe another one will whet my… appetite?"

"A-another one? Wh-why don't… why don't you," – Cloud's blush was almost burning now – "just, just kiss me?"

Leon leered behind an innocent façade, but his voice was mischievous and dare Cloud think it, saucy. "But I like having you initiate our kisses. It's sweeter that way. And who knows? Maybe your kisses will…" –his voice lowered- "cure me of my cold?"

Yuffie snorted, rolling her eyes at the utter lameness.

But Cloud didn't seem to mind. "Ju-just one more then…" he mumbled, hardly able to meet the other's eyes.

Averting his gaze even more, Cloud mentally willed himself to lean in. He was already sitting on the corner of the bed, right beside Leon so he could help feed his boyfriend, and they were seated so close together by now that Leon's body heat was causing his skin to tingle. Leaning in, he thought he could hear Leon's heart hammering in excitement and his own throbbing almost painfully against his chest. Blood rushed through his ears, the sound like a clap of thunder echoing in the still air. Slowly, his eyes fluttered shut, and he could feel Leon's following suit.

And then there was that familiar pressure again.

A jolt of pleasure seared through his lips, burning them, scorching them/branding/ them. He moaned softly, but his moans were swallowed by the other, as though his boyfriend wanted nothing more than to devour him. His body blazed where Leon's hands roved, those fortunate places sweltering with the force of a thousand suns. Riding on bursts of bliss, his arms crept up, his fingers submerging themselves into the silk of Leon's hair. He deepened their kiss, pushed on by the flares of inferno imprisoned in his body, burning from within. The flames were licking his lips. He whimpered. The wanton lust that bled unhindered through the kiss shook his entire frame, and the firestorm intensified.

It was with much great reluctance that Leon let him go.

There was only so long one could go on without gasping for air.

As though the kiss had zapped away his strength, Cloud's hands fell limply to Leon's shoulders, hooking onto them but ready to fall. When they did slip down to loosely encircle Leon's waist, Cloud was already spooned up against his boyfriend's warm chest, having melted and leaned in for a cuddle just a moment ago. Leon wrapped a comforting arm around him, keeping him there so he could continue dropping butterfly kisses to the top of his head.

And with every gentle kiss, feelings of being protected, of being safe and wanted, seeped into Cloud's heart. The utter coziness and warmth of the embrace and kisses were making his head light and dizzy. A wispy thought drifted into his mind: so loved. So utterly and completely loved. It made him desire falling in love; it made him yearn for a taste of love.

Prompted by his heart, Cloud carefully pushed himself off and lifted his head, his lips tingling. He saw Leon's eyes darken passionately, and he eagerly licked his lips. He pulled Leon down onto himself, their lips meeting like long-lost lovers, caressing and pushing intently. Cloud's tongue darted out to ask for access. It was given freely with a soft, almost muted moan.

Moments later, Cloud pulled away, gasping for air to fill his burning lungs. Vaguely, he heard Leon doing the same, but he couldn't be sure. Leon's kisses always reached into the deepest recesses of his mind and warped his hold on reality. His glazed eyes only served to show just how heady he was, almost like someone had blindfolded him and spun him around several times before pushing him into a random direction. He clutched onto Leon, the one person who made him feel anchored to the ground and to the world, tighter.

Leon grinned, tilting Cloud's head up again for a few more kisses. They were short but no less sweet, chaste but no less loving.

Cloud merely acquiesced, humming contentedly and occasionally gasping when Leon's roving hands whispered across his sensitive spots. His own hands were fixated with Leon's waist, playfully teasing the thin line of almost cruel sensitivity, sometimes dipping a little into the waistband before sliding up again. The little action sent shudders reverberating throughout Leon's body.

For the longest time, the two were just content with sitting in bed and kissing chastely. Where one kiss ended, another would swoop in to follow.

Yuffie felt strangely accomplished as she watched the couple kiss and basically forget about everything else in the world. For one thing, she was quite sure that the only thing that was running through the brunet's head was how to extract more of those cute moans from Cloud. And Cloud was probably having too much fun to worry about his supposedly imminent breakup. No, she didn't think there was going to be a breakup any time soon. Nurse Cloud was too busy falling in love and taking care of his patient to even /think/ of breaking up.

After all, he was the one responsible for at least half of the kisses he was sharing with his boyfriend right now.

Mission accomplished, Yuffie thought, not even bothering to soften her sniggers. Those two were so far off in their own little world to hear her anyway.

Still, that didn't mean that she wouldn't try.

She floated up to her buddy and attempted to nudge him, huffing when her hand passed through yet again. She was never going to get used to having no tactile contact, seriously. With a sigh, she cleared her throat right beside Cloud. No response. She tried again. Still no response. Raising an eyebrow, Yuffie resisted the urge to yell lest she scared Cloud so badly and fall off the bed. Or worse, jump straight into Leon, rub their groins together and start a chain reaction that could result in them losing their clothes, a lot of moaning and screaming, and a heap of dirty bed sheets.

Cloud didn't need to be corrupted /that/ much, no siree.

Besides, Yuffie was still underage to watch live porn, thank you very much.

Sidling up even closer, she decided to change her tactics. What better way to shake Cloud out of his trance by embarrassing him? Seriously, that boy was way too easily embarrassed for his own good.

"Cloud, if you're going to continue playing tonsil hockey with Leon like that, you might want to put a cover over your porridge or something. They're gathering dust right now," she ended with a chirpy singsong. She cackled inwardly when her words got the intended effect: Cloud had all but fallen off the bed in his haste to get away from his surprised boyfriend.

Clamouring quickly to his feet, Cloud looked like a newborn fawn, eyes wide as he frenziedly took in the magnificent new world around him and legs wobbling like jelly. Even with Leon pulling him up, it still took him a while to get back onto the bed. He wasted no time in grabbing his own bowl of porridge and shoving spoonful after spoonful into his mouth, face dusted red and eyes peering at Leon through his jagged bangs.

His blush deepened when Leon shot him a contented grin that was lightly tinged with a hint of smugness, before he too picked up his bowl and started eating without complaints.

For once, Yuffie didn't feel like teasing her friend for his shyness or self-denial, if there was any. The atmosphere in the room was much too cozy for that. So she just floated around and watched the couple eat and quite frequently, shoot fleeting glances at the other and look away before they got caught staring.

* * *

For someone who was supposedly an untouchable ice prince, Leon sure wasn't living up to the image of being cold or aloof. If anything, the brunet was acting like a cuddly bear, being very touchy-feely and somewhat lecherous, even. Vaguely, Cloud wondered what his mother would say if she stumbled upon them hugging and kissing. Would she pass out from shock? Or would she pick up a broom, a vacuum cleaner, a mop -whatever she could get her hands on at that moment- and fend off Leon to protect her only son's modesty? Well, what little was left of it, at any rate.

No, with his luck, Cloud thought that the off-chance of his mother turning into a fangirl like Yuffie was pretty high.

He almost shuddered at the mental image of his mother squealing and giggling like his best friend. Thank goodness she was currently upstairs asleep after a night of working the graveyard shift. She still didn't know that he was dating Leon, and she didn't need to taint her poor eyes or get mentally scarred by what Leon made him do.

And there were quite a few things on the list, to be honest.

After finishing their lunch, Cloud had tried to cajole Leon into taking some cold medicine, and since the brunet had showed signs of coughing, some cough syrup as well. Leon had leered wickedly and said, "Aren't you going to kiss me and make it all better?" Despite blushing brighter than a tomato –which was made much worse by Yuffie's insane guffaws and complains about the stitch in her side- Cloud found himself giving in, if only to get the opportunity to pour the medicine down Leon's throat later.

They eventually settled the bargain with three kisses for each tablespoon, which Cloud thought was a good deal since he had slashed the number of kisses from ten all the way down to just three.

Then after that, Leon had complained subtly about boredom and persuaded Cloud into letting him go downstairs to at least watch TV or something. He would vegetate if he didn't have anything to do, he vehemently claimed. But of course, the moment Cloud walked into the kitchen to wash the dishes with the unspoken intention of joining him at the living room couch later, Leon quickly wandered behind him like a lost puppy and plopped into a seat before Cloud could tell him to just go ahead. Leon claimed that it was a nice change of pace to watch Cloud do house chores sometimes. He wanted to keep his boyfriend company anyway.

Cloud nearly broke a bowl when Leon remarked offhandedly –but rather nervously as well, as though he was worried of getting rebuffed- that they were acting like an old married couple, with Cloud preparing lunch and then doing the dishes and him quietly watching by the sides.

But when he had turned around to refute that statement, the contented and intoxicated smile on the brunet's face stopped him. The words he had prepared completely faded away like leaves in the breeze at the sight of utter bliss, and despite himself, Cloud returned the smile shyly before turning back to wash the suds out of the pile of dishes.

Yuffie died a second time from an overload of fluffy scenes at that point.

She was quickly revived, however, when they got to the living room couch. Leon had spied some cornflake cookies and upon discovering that they were the results of Cloud's baking spree a few days ago, practically demanded to have one. And Cloud the little fussbudget was worried that his precious boyfriend would get a cough on top on his cold if he ate the cookies. There was no way she was going to miss the upcoming drama. She swore, sometimes, at least half the things that happened between Cloud and Leon were more interesting than television drama. And it was at least twice as fluffy, minus the angst.

* * *

"Just one. Just let me have one."

" Leon, you're already getting a cough. What if it gets worse?"

"It's just one. I'll be fine if I eat just one cookie. You've never given me your cookies before."

"Well, I didn't think you'd like cookies! You don't like most sweet stuff, remember? Which reminds me: I'm still so surprised you actually like banana crumble."

"As long as you made it, I don't care if I'm eating plain sugar. Just as long as you're the one who made it."

If Leon's intention was to make Cloud feel all flustered, pleased, and flattered, then he had achieved his goal many times over. Cloud could feel his heart wallowing in warm drifts of tenderness, almost threatening to burst with happiness. A smile broke out on his face unwittingly, brightening up his features.

"Just one, then."

Leon nodded. "Just one."

Picking a medium-sized cookie from the jar, Cloud popped it into his boyfriend's waiting mouth. He almost laughed when Leon hummed appreciatively as he attempted to eat the entire cookie in one bite, holding a precautionary hand under his mouth to catch any falling crumbs. When the cookie was gone, Leon licked his chops as though wanting more, prompting a round of chuckles from Cloud with the small but endearing gesture.

"It's good. It's really good," Leon suddenly remarked, looking more than a little surprised. His expression was one that a child, one who had his first taste of his eventual favourite food, would wear. It was charming.

Cloud gave into his urges that had been clawing at him since Leon whined for the treat. Carefully wiping Leon's mouth clean of cookie crumbs with a tissue, he darted in to place a swift, soft peck on his boyfriend's lips. Leon's grey eyes widened for a moment, a twinkle starting to dance in there before it simmered into a feral, thrilled glint.

That same look was reflected in Yuffie's eyes, and she punched the air triumphantly, congratulating herself for a job well done.

"I've heard of people acting like monsters when they're ill, but you… you act like a big baby when you're ill," Cloud said softly, wiping the corner of Leon's mouth that he had missed earlier. As though on second thoughts, he added, "Not that it's a bad thing though. I think I've gotten used to you and your antics."

Leon raised a playful eyebrow, looking almost wounded but without any of the pain. "Antics? You mean like… this?" In one swift, almost practiced action, he had Cloud plastered against himself, torso to torso and thigh to thigh. He chuckled lightly when he heard his boyfriend's breath catch, and spurred on by a sudden impish impulse, he slid one hand under Cloud's knees, another on Cloud's back, and lifted him into his lap. Leon spread his legs apart and carefully set down his precious luggage between them. Cloud seemed too dazed to respond, and Leon took the chance to pull him down into his chest and wrap both arms around the still stunned blond. His arms were like steel bars of strength, protective yet possessive.

As he shifted to make himself more comfortable, Cloud was wondering when he would learn to stop being so easily shocked into silence. It always gave Leon the perfect opportunity to get them into the most intimate positions. But as he was lulled into a sense of tranquility by Leon's steady breathing, he suddenly felt the position wasn't so bad after all. He always did like Leon's warm chest anyway. It made his body tingle with thrill and melt like butter. A smile tugging on his lips, Cloud moved a little and laid his head in the juncture between his boyfriend's shoulder and neck. The smile was blossoming now, when those arms quickly but gently wrapped themselves around his tummy again, and Cloud covered those hands with his own, softly caressing.

"I thought you wanted to watch TV? I can't turn it on if you're holding me like this."

"Don't want to let go…" Leon mumbled against Cloud's hair, gently nuzzling. "I'd rather watch television static if it means you won't have to stand up."

" Leon… Even if you want to watch static, I'd still have to get up and turn on the TV."

"But I'm feeling a little cold. I need your body heat to warm me up," Leon replied roguishly, yet sounding strangely affectionate. It made the butterflies in Cloud's stomach flutter.

"Just give me a second. I'll turn on the TV and come back. Is there anything in particular you want to watch?"

"Hmm, anything will do. You pick."

"Great. I've got a movie I want to watch anyway. Tidus lent it to me a couple days ago and I haven't gotten a chance to watch it yet," Cloud said casually, pulling himself out of the comfortable embrace and suppressing a snicker at Leon's protest. The snicker died on his lips, however, when a cool, wispy breeze breathed down his back at the loss of body contact. Frowning, he quickly popped in the movie and scrambled back to the couch where Leon was waiting with open arms. The moment he sat down again, those arms immediately gathered him back into a familiar embrace, and Cloud snuggled against them. There was a trace of desperation in that embrace that made Cloud feel like a precious belonging that had previously been lost, and now that he was 'found', he knew Leon was not going to let go again anytime soon.

He did not fight the grin that blossomed on his face, and very nervously, he placed his hand over Leon's. Cloud felt his breath hitch when he felt, rather than heard, Leon's lighthearted chuckle, and then their fingers were laced together tightly.

Yuffie squealed and swooned behind them, unable to help the swell of emotions that were ballooning inside her. It was like the couple was giving off these vibes that were going /off/ the happiness charts, and it inevitably wove Yuffie into the whole delightful fabric as well. There was no other explanation as to why she was feeling so, so… exhilarated.

On the television screen, the movie started.

* * *

As the ending credits flashed across the screen, Leon yawned lightly. Before Cloud could tell him to move upstairs for a nap, the brunet had already stood up, walked to the end of the couch, lied down and made himself comfortable on Cloud's thighs. Part of his legs dangled over the couch languidly.

Cloud sighed and shook his head, but he was already used to his boyfriend's need to nap on his thighs every once in a while. He remembered Aeris telling him that it was Leon's way of being affectionate, even though it didn't always seem so. The action just made Cloud feel fat; all those wobbly, soft, cushiony fat was what made his thighs so comfortable, probably.

Leon nuzzled him, and he chuckled, instantly recognizing it as Leon's version of a whine for attention. He always did this when he felt Cloud wasn't paying enough attention to him, something that amused their friends to no ends, especially that day when he had done it in class. Cloud had been trying to arrange some papers for Mr. Highwind after the teacher left, and the next teacher wasn't anywhere in sight yet. Even in that brief five minutes, Leon's ego felt bruised to be ignored in favour of some damned papers, and he pulled Cloud in for a bit of nuzzling before the blond even registered what was going on. Their classmates did a collective 'aww' at that show of affection, much to Cloud's embarrassment.

"Tired?"

"A little. I'm mostly dizzy."

Cloud was quick to massage his boyfriend's temple, even though he did not panic. Feigning dizziness was another of Leon's much-used tactic, used to get Cloud to fuss over him. It wasn't too far off the target to say that Leon acted like a baby sometimes, really. Then again, the dizziness could have been brought on by Leon's cold, and as though to prove the point, Leon sniffed and rubbed his nose. Cloud was quick to hand him a tissue.

For a long while, they just sat in relative silence. Cloud's hands did not stop working, and Leon grabbed the chance for a bit of napping. Even Yuffie, who was usually loud, boisterous and unable to keep quiet even if her life depended on it, floated around behind them, content to just watch her friends wallow in their private paradise. In fact, she was worried of breaking the perfect harmony in the room, so she took extra care to stay quiet.

But she couldn't help giggling when Leon started stretching his body and his eyes fluttered open, almost like he had finished recharging under Cloud's skilful ministrations.

"Cloud, go out with me tomorrow?"

For someone who had dodged that question for the past two days, the blond was remarkably quick to respond in a clean-cut manner. "If you feel better tomorrow, I'll go anywhere with you, alright?"

"Even a hotel room?" Yuffie quipped, finally unable to be a quiet little angel. She laughed when Cloud rolled his eyes.

Leon only nuzzled him again, eyelids heavy. "Okay."

"Where do you want to bring me to, anyway? You've been so insistent about this."

"Hmm?" Dear gods! How did the soft, sluggish purring warm his body like hot chocolate chugged down as one watched the downpour outside? It almost turned him into a pile of goo, the way the sound caressed his insides.

"I… I was asking you where you intend on bringing me to. For tomorrow's date."

"Oh. Well, there's this shop my friend started, and it specializes in body piercing and tattoos. I help him design some of the stuff there sometimes. You see Griever?" he asked, holding up the lion pendent that was dangling off a chain around his neck. "It was just something I had drawn for fun, and then my friend saw the picture and he made it for me. Said it suits me, and it was some sort of good omen to christen his new shop." Leon shrugged offhandedly, but there was a surge of pride in his eyes that he couldn't hide.

" Irvine –ah, that's my friend's name- he still has some of my designs there. I want to bring you there and maybe take a look around."

Yuffie slithered up to her childhood buddy, grinning knowingly. "Have you noticed that Leon's been slowly integrating you into his life? First it was Riku and the gang, and now it's his freelance job outside? Next thing you know, he'll bring you home to meet his parents."

The idea of meeting Leon's parents brought a dash of pink to his cheeks, and Cloud vaguely wondered if he should bring some sort of present to meet them. A second later, he chastised himself mentally: Leon hadn't extended an invitation to his house yet, and he was already dreaming up of meeting his parents? Another second later, he chastised himself again: where did that 'yet' in his previous thought come from? What made him think it was only a matter of time that Leon would invite him home to meet his parents? And seriously…

…did he want to meet Leon's parents when it was so obviously an act that would bring him one step closer to being Leon's real boyfriend? He still had to break up with Leon…

…right?

He was surprised when that thought stung painfully.

That was when Leon gazed at him again, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. The aching subsided magically.

"I want to get you Fenrir."

Cloud blinked. "What?"

"Fenrir. It's an earring I asked my friend to make based on a sketch I drew. The earring… that image just came to me one day, about a few months ago, after I saw you in school playing with the band room's drum set. You know," he chuckled, "if you want to sneak inside the band room and play with the instruments, you should at least lock the door."

Cloud peered surreptitiously to his right, noting with much annoyance that Yuffie was whistling innocently while looking away. That girl had assured him over and over again that she had bolted the door, and if they wanted more privacy, she would have to hammer wooden planks across the damn door. And she was the one who snuck him in!

"So that night after I went home, I drew this wolf-like emblem and I passed it to my friend the next day, asking him to make it for me. He has the finished product on display in the shop right now, but he's promised me he won't sell it to anybody. I want you to have it."

"Me?" Cloud pointed at himself skeptically.

Leon nodded as much as he could while still lying on his boyfriend's thighs. "I've always wanted to see you wearing it, but… I didn't know how to give it to you before we got together." In an anxious fit, he quickly added, "O-of course, you don't have to wear it. I mean, you don't have to pierce your ears if you don't want to; you can still keep the earring somewhere. But… it'd be good if you do. That way, when people see Fenrir on your ear and Griever on my neck, they'll know we're together."

Yuffie giggled again. "It's another of those couple things. Some couples wear the same shirt, some couples get the same hairstyle, and other couples like you and Leon wear matching accessories. It's part and parcel of dating someone who likes staking their claim for all to see, I guess."

Brushing her comment off though there was something about it that had probably hit home, Cloud twisted a lock of Leon's bangs around his finger almost absently. He was mostly enraptured by his boyfriend's flustered expression, something he was sure not many people had been fortunate enough to bear witness to. It was adorable, he thought.

"Well… I've always thought about piercing my ear."

He was secretly thrilled at how that simple remark immediately lifted the anxiousness in Leon's eyes.

"We'll visit Irvine's shop tomorrow then. And after that…" Leon faltered, and a heated blush attacked his face all of a sudden, coupled with an almost silly grin. Cloud blinked.

"After that, there's this other… thing that I want to get for you. That apron just screams your name, I swear."

"Apron?" Cloud parroted dazedly. His confusion doubled when Yuffie started snickering behind a hand, as though knowing something that he didn't. Then again, considering the fact that while other girls collected clothes and necklaces, Yuffie collected gossips -and she had been one hell of a successful collector at that- it wouldn't be surprising if she /did/ indeed know something about an apron. Still… an apron?

"Erm, the apron is creamy white with a little bit of pale yellow, and it's got a big pocket in the front… And… there're these three words sewn on it in gold that reads 'Kiss the Cook'," Leon chuckled sheepishly, like he had just admitted to some sort of secret fetish. "I just think you'd look good in the apron. And maybe you can, you know, bake me a butter cake while you're wearing the apron?"

Cloud still wasn't sure if he had heard correctly. "An apron? As in, the thing you wear in the kitchen?"

"Well… remember this time when you joined the girls in the baking club and baked cookies? Tidus kept waiting at the window and ask you for your cookies, and I err, sorta joined him."

Realization dawned on Cloud like a lighthouse in a thick fog out at sea, and his baby blue eyes lit up. "The time when you got so fed up by the girls offering you their cookies and you suddenly just…" –he gestured wildly as he figured out his words- "yelled at all of them? I think you said something like you hated cookies. I was so confused! Seriously! I mean, you just asked me for my cookies, and then the next thing I know, you're yelling about how much you don't /like/ cookies!"

Leon laughed softly.

"And I was really shocked that you yelled –because I've never actually heard you raise your voice before then- and I wasn't sure how to react. But you were still loitering outside the window like you're waiting for me, and I remember thinking to myself, 'Oh no, what am I going to give him?' Thank goodness I still had a butter cake."

"I don't think I've ever gotten the chance to say this to you, but that cake was delicious."

Cloud suddenly started to grin impishly. "You know, I baked that cake for my mum actually."

As he had expected, the brunet winced. "Did she say anything about the huge, missing slice you gave me?"

"Oh, she just assumed Yuffie ran off with it."

Yuffie's indignant yells were drowned out by the couple's laughter. When their amusement finally subsided, something that took nothing short of an eternity in the piqued girl's opinion, there was a hint of unspoken tension and concern in Leon. Cloud said nothing about it, knowing that the brunet was probably worried about his feelings over Yuffie's sudden death. Oh, if only he knew that very same girl was floating in the room right now.

"I don't think I'll ever forget that day," Leon said abruptly, his voice soft and soothing like a timely shower over a parched land.

There was something behind his words that made Cloud worry, yet at the same time, that very same thing gave his heart wings.

"I think, the moment you handed me the slice of cake, I just… my heart just…" Leon trailed off, trying to find the right words to express himself, but the words kept eluding him like erratically fluttering butterflies. "I was so… happy I think I just about… died."

The statement was subdued, almost inaudible, like Leon had never truly meant for it to be spoken. But it had, and the soft, quiet statement sounded louder than anything Cloud had ever heard, echoing within his mind, resonating within his heart, and reverberating within his soul. It was a small ripple at first, caused by a pebble tossed so carelessly into the pool of almost dead water that was the core of his being. Then, as the ripples spread outwards in their spirals, they gained strength and momentum, only to end up larger than a tidal wave that engulfed him whole.

Even Yuffie seemed to have sensed the magnitude of what was to come, and she was uncharacteristically subdued.

"Cloud, I… I…you…" Red brushed across the bridge of Leon's nose and welled up in his cheeks. So many emotions were swimming in his eyes in an endless swirl, but one emotion was so obvious and so clearly defined that it shone like a beacon of light through the murkiness.

Cloud stopped breathing in that moment.

"I… I lo-" The sound did not escape his throat, and Leon tried again. "I lov- I'm… I'm not good at this…" he stuttered, slapping a hand over his forehead.

Gently, Cloud's hand moved to cup Leon's cheek as though in a stupor, and it was only when they touched did things register in his mind again. At the sight of Leon so completely at a loss yet trying so hard, Cloud couldn't help but smile, his thumb caressing in comforting whispers. Leon just closed his eyes and sighed, leaning into the touch like a flower searching out the sun.

The logical side of his mind yelled at him, vehemently reminding him of the possibility of himself falling in love for love, the very same thing that had plagued his mind just last night. But the idea seemed so… silly, so ridiculous all of a sudden. Cloud couldn't believe he had even conjured that outlandish notion, couldn't imagine ever accepting that childish idea as a possibility.

How could that idea ever be accepted? No, it couldn't, because Cloud couldn't explain why his heart would throb almost painfully whenever Leon smiled at him, why his lips would tingle and tremble whenever Leon's face swam out of focus and breath tickling him, or why his fingers would twitch uncontrollably whenever Leon did not take his hand.

But Cloud was starting to understand why his heart's painful throbbing would immediately fade away once Leon cupped his cheeks and smiled wider at him, why his tingling and trembling lips would blaze up once Leon kissed him and that familiar pressure warmed his face, and why his own hands would betray himself and seek out Leon's hand to hold onto like an anchor.

And in the exquisite tranquility, a single realization echoed.

_' Leon… I don't know when or even how, but have I… _

_'…Have I fallen in love… with you?' _

* * *

Dinner at the Strife's was a lively affair that night, and much to Yuffie's delight and Cloud's mortification, it actually somewhat resembled a scene in life everyone would probably see at some point of their lives.

Meeting future in-laws.

While Cloud had been just content to eat quietly and dwell in his own thoughts, Leon seemed to have found strength from the afternoon's events, and he was giving Cloud's mother a vivid description of their school lives. Eleanor listened attentively, nodding and exclaiming at certain things as she kept piling food onto Leon's plate and asking him to eat more and help himself to the food.

At first they just talked about trivial things, like how they were doing in their classes and how the teachers were. Eleanor was thoroughly impressed when Leon told her about the male kendo team and that they had won the nationals for three years running. Cloud almost choked on his food when Eleanor turned to him and clapped her hands excitedly, going on about how his new friend could protect him from the local bullies. Even worse, he knew she had been tempted to call Leon his 'knight in shining armour' because she was a romantic like that, and had only held back from using those words for fear of bruising his male ego.

Leon's eyes had narrowed at the news tidbit, and he was probably half a second from going on the warpath before Cloud assured him that all his bully issues had been resolved years ago.

That just launched Eleanor into a long speech about Cloud's childhood endeavors, to which Leon listened with such rapt attention that a bomb could have gone off in the vicinity and he probably wouldn't have noticed. It was like the brunet was a sponge, eagerly soaking up all the embarrassing childhood stories. In five minutes, Leon had learned all about the time when Cloud squatted under a bush for over an hour because his pants had gotten a nice hole, courtesy of climbing over a fence, and all that was protecting his modesty was his boxers with chocobo prints.

Leon also heard about the one occasion when the blond once had a pet cat named Red XIII, simply because the cat had red fur and was the thirteenth stray he found that day. The night Red XIII came into their house, Cloud had screamed in the middle of the night because of a pair of glowing eyes, which of course belonged to the cat. Too bad the cat ran away after some neighbour kids tried to set its tail on fire, and it was never found. Cloud cried buckets over that.

And then there was that one time when Cloud had been thrown into an Olympic-sized swimming pool by his father because the boy simply refused to go down of his own will. He was reluctant to leave the wading pool even when he was already ten years old.

All that embarrassment was enough to make a grown man cry.

It didn't help when Yuffie drifted up to him and calmly told him, "Take it easy. Remember: the world has to suck or we'd all fall off."

If it wouldn't make him look like a lunatic, Cloud really wanted to give into his titanic urges and shake her silly for the lame joke.

Luckily for her, Leon chose this time to regale Eleanor with their school life, and more specifically, Cloud's charming personality.

"I don't think Cloud has noticed it yet, but he has his own personal fan club in school. A lot of the students have their eyes trained on him everywhere he goes like they're glued to him. They just can't stop looking at Cloud. Personally, I think at least half the school population has a crush on him," Leon commented nonchalantly, offering the blond an affectionate grin before Eleanor eagerly asked him to talk more about it.

Now totally ignored, Cloud shot an incredulous look at his boyfriend at the tall tale. He then peered over to Yuffie, seeking confirmation that Leon was seeing things, but she only shrugged with a confused frown. So either Leon was delusional or his reality had been completely warped by being too in love. Either was possible.

"Really? My baby is that popular in school? Oh honey, why didn't you ever tell me? And does that mean you're attached? Honey, you have to bring your girlfriend home to see me!" Eleanor piped happily, her blue eyes twinkling with an excitement that made her seem much younger than she really was.

Cloud flinched like someone had just slapped him. He really didn't want to find out what his mother would say if he replied that well, his /boyfriend/ was currently having dinner with them. She didn't know even he wasn't straight yet!

No wait… he /was/ straight. Mostly. Currently, there was just a slight, slight, slight bend to his sexuality, courtesy of two brunets who were probably more than happy to bend it even more.

"Mum… I don't have a girlfriend. Leon's not being serious! I don't have half of the school population crushing on me! You'd think I would know if that were the case."

"Oh honey, you don't have to be shy!"

"But mum! I really don't have a girlfriend! I, I'm as single as they come!"

Yuffie was chortling in her trademarked obnoxious manner again. She threw Cloud a superior smirk, mirth sparkling in her eyes. " Leon is not going to like this!" she said in a wicked singsong.

And she was, as always, right.

In a move so swift it was like a snake pouncing on its prey, Leon's hand shot out to grab his thigh under the table and gave him a tight squeeze. But above the table, even though his eyes had twitched violently, his smile did not waver in the least. If anything, it widened as he turned to Eleanor again. He was about to talk, probably something along the lines of him being Cloud's first and only boyfriend, and Cloud almost squeaked.

Hastily, he slapped a hand over Leon's and carefully laced their fingers together. Like his boyfriend, he was beaming beatifically at his mother.

Eleanor didn't notice anything off. Instead, she continued to milk the topic for what it was worth and more. "Oh Leon, surely you have a lot of friends? You have to introduce some of them to my baby or he'll never get a girlfriend. He's too shy to get one himself."

Leon, probably at least pacified by their laced fingers, nodded obediently. But his mouth ran away again. "There's no need for me to get involved," –cue for sideway stare at Cloud and a gulp from said blond- "Cloud is popular enough in school. He has dozens of fans, girls /and/ boys alike."

"Boys?" Eleanor's eyes popped out, her hand flying to cover her slackened mouth.

Cloud suppressed the whine that was clamouring in his throat, and it died before it could even be vocalized at all. Was his mother going to freak out now? Was she going to faint? Was she going to get mad? His worry was amplified tremendously when Yuffie hovered beside him with pulsed lips and barely feasible shallow breaths. Even Leon tensed up.

After a long, excruciatingly drawn out moment, Cloud nearly fell off his chair when Eleanor suddenly slammed her hands down on the table, the loud bang resounding.

"Oh honey! Promise me that if you get together with a boy, you'll adopt grandkids for me to play with, okay?"

Cloud melted into his chair.

Yuffie dropped to the ground.

Leon looked at Eleanor skeptically, like he wasn't sure if she was the real deal. Maybe an alien had abducted her and this was a replacement sent by the aliens?

Eleanor pouted at their reactions, almost hurt that they thought so little of her. "What? Is it wrong to want grandkids?"

"No, no, no… that's not a problem," Leon quickly replied. "Cloud will give you grandkids. Right, Cloud?"

Said blond just nodded dazedly, and Eleanor sighed happily.

"Enough grandkids to form a basketball team?"

Dazed nod.

"What about a soccer team? With replacements?"

The nodding continued.

Eleanor beamed. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way…" –she turned to face Leon- "Did anybody ever tell you I'm a nurse, Leon dear? I've been trained to spot children faking colds and the flu from a hundred yards away. Is there something you want to tell my baby now?"

Cloud recovered immediately from his daze when Leon shrunk visibly, seemingly wanting nothing more than to disappear into the ground or something. He narrowed his eyes and angry sparks started to fly around. The brunet just sank lower into his chair.

He turned his glare to his mother. "Mum! You knew Leon was just faking it and you didn't tell me?"

"To be precise, Leon does have a cold, but it's nothing he can't recover from after a good nap. So there was actually no need to cocoon him with your blanket like you did earlier, but I suppose Leon did pretend his cold was worse than it really is. And seriously, honey, you two had an argument last night. Wasn't that how Leon got a cold to begin with? With your temperament, you wouldn't have bothered much with Leon if he wasn't ill." She peered at Leon, who was still sliding down in his chair like a boneless jellyfish, and added, "And apparently, Leon knows you well enough to know he had to fake a cold to get you to at least talk to him."

How did his mother always know how to turn things around in her favour? It made Cloud want to cry sometimes, especially when Yuffie, having finally regained her composure, cheerfully declared, "I knew it!"

Cloud tightened his grip on Leon's hand, which was still resting on his thigh. It wasn't as if Leon hadn't tried retracting his hand, but the moment he tried, Cloud had clamped down on it and kept it there. And now it was quickly becoming some sort of torture device under the table. If the grip wasn't tight enough, that was when pinching came in. If the pinching didn't work, there was still clawing and scratching.

Leon just smiled sheepishly and tried not to wince when a particularly sharp nail left a nice mark upon the back of his hand.

Still beaming beautifully with angelic halos and wings behind her, Eleanor chirped happily, "I'll take care of the dirty dishes!"

-tbc-

**Teaser for next chapter: **In which Fenrir gets Cloud some compliments from the gang, Zell approaches Cloud for a little one-on-one talk, Yuffie asks Cloud to run for it, Seifer is thrown into the equation again, Leon gets worried over his boyfriend, and vanilla ice cream is ignored.

**A/N: **I've just been wondering... Are the chapters getting too long? If you haven't noticed, the chapters have been getting longer and longer. Some readers have left me feedback that the chapters are too long, but some say they like the chapter length. So how is it, really?

On the other hand, read and review if you enjoyed this chappie. Telling me what worked and what didn't worked can help me improve and write the next chapter faster! Why do you think this fic got updated again so soon when I had said in the last chappie that future updates would come slower? XD So review away if you like this chappie!

Lastly, one new Leon/Cloud one-shot fic to come soon!


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Vanilla part 7

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: LxC

Warnings: AU, romance, sap, fluff, humour, OOC-ness

Rating: R

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to lay claim to Cloud, I'm kinda scared of Leon's gunblade. So well, I don't own Kingdom Hearts and its character, and neither do I own the various Final Fantasies and their characters.

Note: This fic is inspired by the Japanese manga _Eerie Queerie. _And this fic's theme song is Gackt's _Vanilla_. /sniggers/ And thanx to Hana-chan for helping to edit this chapter.

Summary: Cloud's only friend, Yuffie, had just died a few weeks ago. However, Yuffie can't move on to the next world and so she follows Cloud around in his daily life. And she just can't resist the opportunity to play the finest prank on Cloud by possessing his body and confessing to someone… LxC

* * *

In Radiant High, it was generally unspoken knowledge that the school rules had loopholes large enough to let a herd of elephants to pass through, and they were mostly just there for reference or for ornamental purposes. Students could do whatever they wanted, just as long as they didn't get caught or reported. The same rule applied to their school uniforms, and so even though it was clearly stated that students were required to wear their uniforms neat and proper, nobody really cared.

Basically, as long as the uniform was present, nobody cared how it was worn. A student could be wearing enough accessories to entirely cover up his uniform, but as long as the teachers could still see the khaki pants, the white shirt and the green vest when they pried away the accessories, then it was acceptable. A shirt left hanging outside the pants, a vest so dirty that it didn't really look green anymore, or even pants that dragged along the floor… the teachers and rule makers tolerated all that with a closed eye.

The fangirls and boys were a whole different story.

They absolutely adored the three belts hanging off Leon's waist, the numerous chains dangling around Riku's pants, the multitude of bangles and bracelets jiggling on Aeris and Selphie's hands, and the limited edition blitzball necklace slung around Tidus' neck.

Cloud never thought he'd be added onto the list.

But he had, and now everybody was talking about Fenrir sleeping on his left ear.

"Oh Cloud! That earring of yours is so pretty! Where did you get it?" Selphie squealed, excitement bubbling in her eyes. She had all but left her lunch almost untouched beside her as she appraised the new accessory adorning Cloud's ear, swooning at the superb craftsmanship and power imbued in the wolf's unwavering gaze.

The blond fidgeted, a hand shooting up to touch his earlobe self-consciously. He had been half-tempted to leave it at home that day, but Yuffie convinced him otherwise, and now Cloud was sorely regretting his moment of weakness. Fenrir was truly an amazing work of art, and he had been pleased to no end when Irvine, the person who had transformed Leon's sketch into such a beauty, told him that Leon had created the earring with him in mind. But Cloud didn't want all the attention it was garnering! It made him feel like a circus animal put on parade.

Only Leon's repeated assurances that he looked absolutely gorgeous with Fenrir stopped him from tearing it off right there and then.

"That's Fenrir, isn't it? I remember seeing Leon sketching the wolf emblem a few months back," Tidus interjected smoothly before turning over to Leon. "So you finally got it for Cloud, eh?"

Leon smirked, tightening his hold on his boyfriend's waist and pulling him closer. They had both finished lunch some time ago, and nobody even batted an eyelash when Leon lifted Cloud into his lap without a warning. Aeris and Selphie just giggled and traded observations about how Cloud didn't protest like he usually did, and how the blond had instead, merely blushed with a half-hearted nudge.

"For the longest time, I thought Fenrir was going to stay inside Irvine's display case forever. You do know that Irvine promised Leon to never sell it, right?" Riku asked, chugging down a bottle of water when he finished. His empty lunch tray was lying abandoned on the grassy ground beside him.

"I did hear something about that." Oh, Cloud had heard considerably more than just a little promise. Irvine was one smooth talker when he wanted to, quite like a male version of Selphie, but much slicker and more charming. Of course, the charm factor was quickly turned down to nearly non-existent when Leon glowered rather menacingly. Despite that little bit of deterrent, Irvine still managed to tell Cloud a good deal about Fenrir's origin and creative process, all the way from the earring's simple beginnings to how Leon had repeatedly, ahem, warned him against selling it to anybody but himself. The reason, Irvine said, was very simple: if Cloud didn't wear it, then nobody was supposed to.

Sometimes, Cloud thought he would never realize the full extent of Leon's devotion.

Riku grinned. "It would be such a pity if Fenrir never got out of that display case. I've always liked it, but Leon would never let me have it. And I'm not the only one he shot down, right, Tidus?"

Said blond boy only sighed deeply.

"But," Aeris started, "I can't imagine someone other than Cloud wearing Fenrir, now that I've seen it on him. I think Fenrir's really your style, Cloud."

"Definitely!" Selphie piped in, fisting her fork gleefully. Tidus leaned away from her for fear of losing an eye.

Yuffie, who had been whizzing around the trees to look for squirrels, was drawn back to the gang by the comments. Smugly, she threw Cloud another of her 'I told you so' looks and would have stayed around to say more had a brown shadow not lured her away. She squealed, "Squirrels!" and quickly flew off. Cloud silently thanked the fuzzy little animals for distracting his best friend. It wasn't as if she hadn't teased him enough over the weekend about this.

His gratitude for the critters increased many folds when Leon suddenly leaned in, breathing huskily, "I think it makes him irresistibly sexy." Before Cloud could even think of blushing at the heartfelt compliment, he felt a light, wet pressure on the shell of his ear, and his heart stilled. His fears were confirmed when everyone started sporting teasing grins and giggles, and it finally registered that Leon wasn't kissing him. Leon was nibbling on his ear. In public. In plain sight of their friends. With a mortified swipe, Cloud batted him away.

Leon merely grinned and caught the attacking hand, pressing tender kisses to his boyfriend's fingers and palm. His grin widened when Cloud mock-sighed with a telling twitch at the corner of those cherry lips, and there was no sudden jerk of his hands to show he didn't like Leon's gesture. Mostly, Leon had learned by now, Cloud enjoyed his affections but just didn't know how to react.

Neither of the couple noticed the knowing smirk gracing Riku's lips.

"Did something happen over the weekend? 'Cause you two look even closer than before."

Leon at least had the decency to blush over his misdemeanors just two days ago, but that didn't stop the silly grin from making its way onto his face as he tightened his embrace on Cloud. It was like he had found a new confidence about their relationship over the weekend, and it really showed like a sun hanging in a cloudless sky. His child-like enthusiasm did not dampen even when Cloud elbowed him indignantly, probably at the same memories that were giving Leon's heart a set of wings.

"We just spent the weekend together."

Cloud snorted at the over-simplified version of what really happened. "Well, your dear buddy Leon pretended to be sick and made me take care of him. I spent the whole Saturday making him lunch, feeding him cold meds and cough syrup, wrapping a blanket around him… He was such a chore to take care of!" He poked Leon's chest.

"Technically, I did have a cold… Your mum said I did too, didn't she?"

Instead of resolving the issue, that only irked Cloud more, and he turned to glare at his wayward boyfriend. Leon offered him an apologetic smile sheepishly, looking like a puppy that had toppled his master's favourite vase and was facing the prospect of nobody to cuddle up to for a few days. Cloud just poked him again, but Leon took the opportunity to grab his hand and gave it a loving, tender squeeze. When that still did not appease the blond, Leon was quick to shoot remorseful looks, and if there was a tail behind him, he would wag it. Just as long as Cloud got placated.

While the two tangoed around in their apologies and rejections, Riku and Tidus were both suppressing their shivers. Upon noticing the goose bumps on the other, they leaned in to whisper how Leon was so completely lovesick that he didn't realize just how odd he was acting. The old Leon before Cloud came into the picture would probably blanch at the changes. On the other hand, Aeris and Selphie were gushing about how the couple had finally gotten to the point where words were unnecessary. Sweet, they thought.

Eventually, Cloud rolled his eyes and gave Leon one final jab which almost caused the brunet to wince.

"Well, don't you dare lie to me about being ill again. I got really worried, okay?"

Leon nodded fervently, and if one were a bit more of a romantic dreamer like Selphie, it almost looked as if the brunet had gotten pardoned for some previously unforgivable sin.

"Sorry. I won't do it again. Honest. I didn't want to worry you, but I was worried you'd ignore me for the whole day if I wasn't sick. You were so mad at me that night…"

Everyone's ears perked up, the way a hunting dog's did at the sound of a possible prey or danger, and they shared a knowing look. The chorus of sly, cunning cackles could scare someone of lesser courage, but Yuffie thought she had nothing more to lose now that she was already dead, so the evil laughter attracted her over like bees to honey.

And just in time too.

"So you two spent the weekend together…" Riku trailed off, his cerulean eyes bright and mischievous.

Tidus quickly picked up the line of thought. "…the entire weekend…"

"…and now you're talking about nights…" Selphie supplied helpfully.

Aeris blurted, exhilaration tingeing her every word, "So the two of you have spent the night together already!?"

The couple's blazing blushes were answer enough, and everyone except for the two of them burst out in laughter, showers of congratulations and well-meaning wishes. When everyone noticed the couple's tightly laced fingers and touching shoulders, they knew their assumptions had hit the nail on the head several times over.

Yuffie whistled, sidling up to Cloud. As much as she adored her childhood buddy, there were times when she thought that he really deserved getting teased for not thinking over what he said. Leaning over his ear, she whispered, "Now you've done it. And you're not even denying anything! Do you know what Riku and the others are thinking about?"

Of course he did. After years of gallivanting with Yuffie as his best friend, never let it be said that Cloud Strife was innocent enough to not fathom the layers of sexual innuendos and overtones of the situation: a couple, a weekend, two nights, one frigging bed. Surely, they couldn't be playing checkers for the whole of two nights, nor could they be doing yoga together in bed.

But actually, Leon had spent the first night alone in the corridor outside his bedroom, and they had merely slept in the same room on the second night. Cloud had been half-tempted to banish the brunet to the guestroom, but after a quick survey, he was convinced that yes, he needed to put out eviction notices for the dust balls first. So he gave in a bit, and let Leon sleep on a bed roll on the floor, but it was still his room.

Surprisingly, the brunet didn't even /hint/ about doing anything more than just sleeping in the room together. But Cloud had a sneaking suspicion he was just biding his time. He still believed he had been proven right when he woke up the next morning to find Leon propped up on an elbow beside him, sitting on the ground beside the bed as he kept watch on Cloud's peaceful sleep. His face held an expression that was utterly, utterly intoxicated.

Cloud remembered blushing hotly and asking, "How… how long have you been awake?"

Leon just smiled, holding out a disbelieving hand to cup his cheek. "Long enough to wonder how I had managed to keep myself off your bed last night. You look like an angel when you're asleep."

Ignoring the underlying implications of that answer, Cloud edged closer to Leon. He was still lying on his bed, bundled up with his blanket, so that action made him resemble a caterpillar wriggling on a tree branch. Leon's smile never wavered; it continued gently, softly, dreamily.

"Does… Does that mean I'm a devil when I'm awake?"

Leon chuckled. "Of course not. You're still an angel," he whispered, and when he noticed the blush deepening on his boyfriend's face, he added, still chuckling, "Only noisier and more prone to blushing."

The ripples of happiness that surged within Cloud were so beautiful he could still feel them bubbling now. Those warm sensations were heightened when Yuffie, who had woken up particularly early that morning, very helpfully supplied him with information that Leon had sat beside his bed for over an hour just watching his sleeping face serenely. A few times, she claimed, Leon had reached out to brush away stray blond hair that fell into eyes, stroked his cheek a bit before retreating to gaze at the side.

Still, even with all that endearing gestures, that didn't mean he had done /that/ with Leon. And Cloud definitely didn't want their friends to get the wrong idea, so he was about to correct their friends when Leon beat him to the punch.

"We were together for the whole weekend, and I didn't get home until last night. You do the math," he purred smugly, like he had broken some world record or was the pioneer of an entirely new field of technology.

Yuffie chortled in the wave of silence that followed. It was broken, however, when Selphie and Aeris squealed like two bunnies on energy boosters and dragged Cloud to a corner. On the other hand, Riku and Tidus scooted closer to Leon and the three began talking in hushed tones and barely veiled excitement. Cloud just about registered the situation and the numerous possibilities of the upcoming topic of conversation when Aeris got the ball rolling.

"Was Leon gentle with you, Cloud?"

Cloud blinked. "Huh? But he's always gentle with me… Well, usually," – he shrugged- "but he was a little caught up in his emotions that day, so he got a little rough…" He found it difficult to forget the feral glint in Leon's eyes, or the taut tightness of Leon's jaws, both of which drifted in and out of his dreams that night when Leon had gotten upset about him and Seifer.

No… truthfully, upset was too mild a word to even begin describing what Leon had probably felt that day.

It was a sort of pain that could not really be put into words, the type that made one feel like their hearts had been forcefully ripped out of their bodies, see its throbbing gradually slow until it stopped entirely, almost like it had choked on its blood, trying so hard to go on but there was just nothing more to motivate its continued existence. And that was just the physical pain.

Cloud didn't want to see that type of distress rolling off Leon's demeanor again; he couldn't bear seeing Leon that way.

He wanted Leon to be happy.

He wanted Leon to be happy… …with him.

A hand flew up to his cheeks, where he could feel blood was flooding to in a jiffy again. Lately, those traitorous thoughts were getting more and more persistent, and the barriers he had previously built up to resist them were slowly but surely breaking down in the towering surges of emotions and sensations, courtesy of one Leon. Cloud had even once, secretly, haboured the overly sentimental idea that Leon was the one meant to demolish those defenses before chucking that silly, laughable thought out of the window.

But when he really considered it, he was surprised to find that he didn't seem to mind that thought as much as he should.

Cloud was so caught up in his contemplations that he didn't notice the conniving grins all three girls were wearing, and neither did he realize just how his blush could be misinterpreted, especially considering that the last thing he had said was so ambiguous.

"Rough?" they chorused cheerfully and in complete unison. Selphie squealed and mock-fainted, letting Aeris catch her just in time and they both laughed. Yuffie shook her head helplessly, but it was clear that she was bursting with mirth and barely hidden hilarity.

When Cloud caught sight of the girls giggling as they were, his mind quickly backtracked. He had to suppress his urges to just crash his head against the tree when he realized just what they were thinking of, and the fact that he had been the one to mislead them, albeit unintentionally. The urges increased a hundred percent when Yuffie, who could read him like an open book, warned him against hitting the tree with his head because, "For god's sake! That's the squirrels' house!"

He felt so loved.

Ignore his sarcasm.

"Not that sort of roughness, I swear," he explained. But from the way the girls' eyes were still moony and starry and their heads possibly soaring within the asteroid belt, Cloud knew there was an uphill battle here. No, maybe it was like trying to slam a revolving door in the opposite direction: frigging impossible. "We just had an argument, and Leon got a bit angry with me. But we've resolved that, really. No worries."

Aeris grabbed his forearm. "Oh Cloud, tell us if Leon bullies you or something. But really, why did the two of you argue? I didn't ever think Leon could bear raising his voice at you for any reason at all."

Cloud felt his throat tickle. "Aeris, I didn't know you were a romantic like Selphie here," he teased, to which she shoved him playfully. "Leon and I were just talking, and things got, well, heated, I guess. Okay, not heated as the way you're imagining it. There's nothing sexual about it," –they both gave him knowing looks and a fresh round of giggles- "So well, Leon probably got worried that I'd ignore him for the next day so he pretended to be sick and made me take care of him. End of story."

Selphie sighed dreamily, mind already conjuring numerous fantasies and compromising situations between the couple, but Aeris wasn't so easy satisfied.

"And you've forgiven him? Just like that? Just because he pretended to be sick?" Her tone was one of disbelief and vague amusement.

Now that Cloud really thought about it… Yeah, was he letting Leon off too easily? Sure, Leon had been a terribly endearing patient, and he had also been incredibly sweet yesterday to make up for all the trouble he caused, but Aeris was still right. He was letting Leon off the hook much too easily. An impish glint entered his eyes.

The girls –Yuffie included- were quick to share his conniving grins, and with a quick pull, drag and shove, they threw him into Leon's flustered arms. Flustered was just one way of describing the normally cool and composed brunet. Apparently, after the girls had spirited Cloud to one side of the garden, Leon was surrounded by his two other friends and interrogated quite thoroughly, almost like the proverbial child with his hand caught inside the cookie jar. The blush colouring his face was stunning, to say the least.

Once Cloud fell into Leon, the four pranksters immediately took flight, fleeing the area while demanding the couple to make good use of the sudden privacy. For a long time, the two just alternated between staring at where their friends had run off to and at each other.

Finally, Leon broke the silence. "What… what did the girls ask you?" The way he had said 'girls' didn't seem to cast them in a good light, to put it mildly, and there was some sort of bitter aftertaste in his mouth. Not that Cloud could blame him. Many a times, the so-called damsels were an underestimated but terribly formidable force not to be reckoned with, and for those who didn't see it that way… well, life was a tad more difficult for them to survive then.

"They asked me if you were gentle with me."

"And Riku and Tidus asked me if you were this shy in bed."

In the deadly silence that followed, which was unfortunately disturbed quite a few times by birds singing and crickets chirping for their respective mates, Yuffie kept rolling in the air in laughter. The squirrel that had finally scampered out of its tree hole tilted its head in wonderment as it looked at her, probably wondering if this nut could be eaten.

"They're convinced we've had sex."

Cloud winced at the naked truth. Leon didn't have to this blunt…

"Shouldn't we be going after them? We need to explain things, don't we? And make sure they don't start putting up notices all over school to announce that erm, new piece of misinformation."

Leon shook his head. "Better not. The more you tell them we didn't, the more they'll think we did. Just let them… stew over it a bit, and they'll forget about it soon. And I doubt they'd put up notices about this. This is much too private, and I know they won't go that far."

"Especially since Leon has a sword and won't hesitate to use it!" Yuffie chirped much too brightly, floating down to hover beside Cloud. Then she tossed that statement around her mind a bit, looked from Cloud's faint blush to Leon's pants, and she leered, "Well, forgive me. I mean, two swords."

The mental image that hit Cloud almost made him pass out, especially when a tiny voice inside him actually agreed with Yuffie's bad joke, even going so far as to chirp, "And both swords are nice too!" Cloud didn't even want to know what that meant, or why the voice knew Leon's other sword was nice too. He really didn't want to know.

"Cloud?"

He blinked, and finally registered the look of concern on Leon's face. When he took a closer scrutiny, however, he saw the telltale signs of a fading blush that was still quite apparent on the bridge of Leon's nose. It must have been a remnant from Riku and Tidus' friendly teasing earlier. Sometimes, it still amazed Cloud that Leon actually blushed. Months of labeling the brunet as cool and aloof weren't something that could be washed away so easily, he reckoned. But what truly amazed him was that Leon looked especially charming with a faint blush dusting his cheeks, and it always gave Cloud a swell of pride that he was the reason for the blush.

With the pride came a bit of confidence, and Cloud quickly took advantage of his sudden bravado.

"You know, Aeris was telling me I'm letting you off too easily for lying to me like that. And guess what? I think she's right. Don't you agree," he paused to run a whispering finger down Leon's jawbone, before adding in a husky breath, "that you should be doing something more than just getting me an earring and an apron to appease me?"

Yuffie applauded like an obedient audience, cheering her friend on for the show.

A wave of stunned silence ensued, and Cloud was half-worried he had pushed too far. He was deliberating if he should just back down and make everything into a joke when a grin suddenly blossomed on Leon's face.

"You're learning to be seductive and flirtatious," he breathed, wrapping his arms around Cloud's waist and pulling him in like a fisherman reeling in his catch for the day. And what a beautiful catch it was, with his baby blues staring at him wide-eyed and his pink cherry lips slightly parted, like a breath had hitched in that kissable throat. Then there was the twinkle of delight in those eyes, the dash of pink creeping up on those cheeks, and the flicker of tongue on those suddenly dry lips.

Any fisherman would be overwhelmed in their sense of accomplishment for reeling in such an amazing catch.

Leon was no different.

His heart beat joyously at the sensations of Cloud's body flushed against his own, arms trapped between them and head ducking down in shyness. Even so, Leon could still spy the shadows cast by his boyfriend's long, weepy lashes and the bit of redness on his lips where he was biting down on.

"I'm… I'm not being seductive and flirtatious," Cloud replied softly, but the denial sounded so weak even he knew that no one present would believe him.

A finger carefully lifted his chin, and their eyes met and locked.

"I like you like this," Leon proclaimed solemnly, leaning in for a taste. He was secretly thrilled when Cloud tilted his head higher to allow him better access, those baby blues fluttering shut softly when their lips touched. His thrills intensified when Cloud kissed back shyly and gently, cautiously lapping at his mouth like he wasn't sure how to please him. Didn't Cloud know by now that he didn't have to go out of the way to please him? That his presence simply made him feel happier? Leon grinned into the kiss, letting his hands glide downwards in an intimate caress.

When he released Cloud's lips, he hovered close by, their lips still touching but not kissing.

"I like you seductive and flirtatious… just as long as your seduction and flirtations are directed towards me." His voice got considerably lower with every word, his warm breath ticklish and their lips trembling against one another's.

"Who…Who else would I talk this way to?"

Breathing. Faint kisses. Barely stifled moans. Chaste loving. Pure living.

It seemed that Cloud had forgotten about his initial goal.

But Leon did not.

"Now, about my apology…" he whispered, chuckling lightly when Cloud whined at the loss of his lips on his own. Eager to please, Leon swooped in for a quick peck, tapping Cloud's faintly swollen lips playfully afterwards. He delighted in seeing a familiar blush stealing up his boyfriend's face, revealing how embarrassed the blond was at his loss of control. Cloud never did take to whining very well, as much as Leon had assured him it was cute.

"You ate your peas today, didn't you?"

Cloud nodded, not even missing a beat, to which Yuffie just rolled her eyes and sighed. Seriously, only these two could make peas such a big affair, big enough that even the cafeteria workers became aware of a newly converted pea-eater. She still remembered how one of them had teased Cloud, saying it was almost amusing to know that people could do all sorts of weird things for love. Another one of them had taken to giving Cloud an extra large serving of peas despite Cloud's repeated pleas not to. That worker was probably bribed by the couple's fans, because Cloud usually still had to be coaxed into eating every single last pea on his lunch tray, and Leon was becoming so good at it he had made it an art form. Heck, that guy could probably give classes on coaxing etiquette already!

Of course, that only meant more drool-worthy material for their fans.

Yuffie's attention quickly turned back to Leon when he started talking again.

"Seeing that you ate your peas today without me coaxing you into it, I'd say there should be a reward for it too. So add that to my apology, what about… some vanilla ice cream after school? Double-scoop, extra large serving…take your pick."

Cloud returned the grin. "Sounds good to me."

"Your mum won't be happy about me giving you so much ice cream, so I guess we shouldn't tell her. But I think I need a bit of something to keep my mouth shut…"

"You just want me to bribe you."

Leon gave him a wounded look, but the effect was ruined by the smirk running along his lips. "Not a bribe. Just something to persuade me."

The blond tossed that idea around his mind for a bit, biting his lower lip and cocking his head as though in a bid to tease his boyfriend. Finally, he seemed to have come to a decision, and his hands snaked up Leon's chest to clasp around his nape. Biting his lower lip, Cloud psyched himself up before slowly leaning in. His warm breath tickled Leon's face for a moment before he finally -with a good dose of willing himself to just do it, probably- pressed a short, chaste kiss to the cheek. Backing away, he sighed, a dizzy pink assaulting his face but there was no ignoring the impish tug on the corner of his lips.

"Was that… was that enough to seal your mouth?" he asked, knowing the answer once he noticed Leon's irises dilating in anticipation.

"Never enough. And in order to seal my mouth, you'd have to kiss me on my lips, don't you think?"

Cloud barely had time to yelp before his lips were claimed once more, but he did not protest. He never protested. Not anymore.

Yuffie just whistled, trying to time how long the couple could kiss and grope one another in plain sight before they realized that the school bell that signaled the end of their lunch period had screeched about a minute ago. Not that she was going to tell them, of course. No decent fangirl would interrupt their make out sessions!

She hooted when Leon's hand crawled down to cup Cloud's bottom.

* * *

Barret Wallace hated his job.

He just didn't think anybody could enjoy a job that dealt with teenage angst, teenage rebellions and basically, everything to do with teenagers. And to think he was supposed to not just teach them mathematics, he was also expected to impart moral values to those punks! Honestly, if he didn't have to pay his bills and support his young daughter, he would have quit ages ago.

And he wasn't afraid of keeping his dislike a secret. Oh, everybody knew how much Barret hated his job, especially when he was famous throughout the school for his colourful tongue lashing reserved for disobedient students. But other than that, he could hardly care less about his students.

So when Squall Leonhart and Cloud Strife turned up twenty minutes late for his lesson, he merely raised an eyebrow.

Leon, as he preferred to be called even in class, was clutching onto the little blond's hands and shielding him protectively. Probably in a valiant attempt to prevent the blond from getting chewed out for being this late, Barret thought. He had long heard the rumours circulating the staff room about the school's star student hooking up with Cloud, one of the few students Barret actually had a soft spot for, but he didn't really think it mattered. Now though, it did seem that the relationship was posing a few problems.

"Sorry, Mr. Wallace. We… got held up. We didn't hear the bell going," Leon explained.

"Do I want to know why?"

Judging from the barely hidden bouts of giggles that were sweeping across the class like some sort of potent flu bug, Barret decided that he probably didn't. His suspicions were confirmed when a silly grin made its way up the brunet's face, and Cloud just bowed his head lower.

"No, Mr. Wallace. You don't, trust me."

Barret sighed. "Normally, I would have given detention, but I'd just be giving yer two one big, empty room to make out in since I ain't got no time to stay back in school today. And I don't see the point of punishing myself either. Just take your seats, and if yer can't keep up with class today, it's yer problem, got that?"

"Got it, Mr. Wallace, and thank you."

Leon quickly tugged on his boyfriend's hands and guided them both to their seats near the back, plopping down nonchalantly. That boy probably just needed to borrow someone's notes, glance through, and he'd be able to tutor Cloud about what they had missed earlier. Sometimes, that kid was just too smart for his own good. But book smarts didn't always translate into a good personality, even though Leon had proven himself to be pretty okay till now.

Still, Barret was worried for Cloud. That blond kid had always been so quiet, so obedient, but ever since hooking up with Leon, he was quickly turning into another rule-breaker. Twenty minutes late for class and an earring?

Suddenly, he felt a compelling impulse to give Cloud a piece of advice. When he noticed Leon wrapping a hand around Cloud's shoulder, he gave into that impulse.

"Strife, the teachers have always pinned yer down as the good kid, so I'd expected more from yer. As they say, a girl's happiness lies in the type of husband she chooses. Of course, yer ain't a damsel, but yer know what I mean. Choose yer boyfriends wisely."

Turning back to the whiteboard to continue with the lessons, he fought off the urge to snicker when he heard the waves of laughter breaking out behind him. Damn but did he love to mess with his students' heads!

* * *

Cloud's eyes were glued to the clock hanging above the whiteboard, mentally willing for its hands to somehow, magically, whiz forward so the teacher would smile and happily kick them all out of class for the day. There was one second when he thought he saw the minute hand start spinning backwards, but thank god that was only a trick of the eye.

When the bell finally rang, which probably sounded more like a melodious tune from heaven to the tired students and teachers, no one was willing to spend one extra second inside the classroom. Within a few seconds, a good number of the students had already scurried out with their backpacks –no doubt all packed and zipped up minutes before the class even ended- in tow, and the rest were fishing out their cell phones to call up their rides.

Picking up his bag, Cloud couldn't help but perk up at the thought of a trip to the ice cream parlor. He was about to tug on Leon's sleeve and ask him to speed up when Riku suddenly walked over, his bag carelessly slung behind him.

"Hey Leon, we've got a meeting with coach in five. C'mon!"

The brunet blinked. "Isn't that tomorrow?"

"It's today, you dickhead! And coach will have our heads if we're late!"

Cloud tried not to pout at the disappointment crushing down on him like a tsunami. He could hear the vanilla ice cream calling his name, beckoning for him to rush down to the parlor right that very minute to eat them up. Shoving the urge to sigh away, he wondered if he should just be understanding and go on ahead to the parlor by himself.

Thank god Leon made that decision for him. He'd probably noticed the pout that had made its way up Cloud's face anyway.

"This meeting shouldn't take long, fifteen, twenty minutes at most. Coach Auron just wants to talk to the committee members about an upcoming friendly; I'll be out in a while," he said, patting Cloud's cheeks gently as though asking him to cheer up. His hands dug inside his pants pockets, a jiggle that was no doubt caused by coins hitting one another. When his hands slid back up, Leon's car keys were jiggling merrily, dangled off his fingers.

Yuffie's eyes lit up. "Woah, you think he's going to give you his car as an apology? Leon's /soooooo/ sweet towards you! Don't you think," she paused conspiringly and flitted closer to his ear, lowering her voice until it was barely more than a breathy whisper, "you should do something to pay him back? Like maybe declare your everlasting love for him right now in front of everyone?" She laughed when a blush erupted across Cloud's face.

Cloud was itching to ask the hyperactive girl if she wanted a tranquilizer or at least swipe at her.

"Just wait for me in my car for a while, alright? I promise to meet up with you soon," Leon finished, dropping his keys into Cloud's surprised hands. He pressed a chaste kiss onto the blond's cheek.

A few female classmates behind them swooned.

Fisting the keys in a mix of surprise and delight, Cloud nodded. "I'll go to my locker first. Do you… have anything in yours that you want me to help you with?" Even though he did not want to comply with Yuffie's erm, wishes, Cloud felt compelled by his own inner desires to be extra sweet to Leon for some reason. And Leon had already given him his locker combination the third day they started dating, so he might as well use it.

Leon shook his head. "It's alright. My locker is out of the way for you. You just get to my car and make yourself comfortable. You remember where I parked it?"

"Yeah, I do."

"My car should be shaded by a tree so it shouldn't be too warm inside. But if it is, remember to turn up the air conditioning, alright?"

"Okay."

"And… hey! Riku!"

As the two seemed to be completely unable to stop the sweet talk, Riku sighed deeply and with a might push, shoved Leon out of the classroom. He apologized to Cloud for spoiling the couple moment as he jostled his friend out like a bulldozer.

Yuffie grinned. "Well, that couldn't be helped. Riku either shoved Leon out of the room or he'd have to withstand roughly about seven more minutes of your lovey- dovey sweet talk with your boyfriend and maybe get goose bumps. Now let's just move our pretty behinds to Leon's car and wait for him there so you two can resume your lovey-lovey talk."

Cloud threw her a dirty look and stalked out, much to her amusement.

* * *

Strolling down the nearly deserted hallway, Cloud just sighed as Yuffie yakked his ears off. Apparently, she had always wanted to play around with Leon's car ever since first laying eyes on it, and now with the keys in Cloud's hands, it was the perfect opportunity to go for a spin. Thank god that whoever had assigned him a locker, they had chosen one that was in the most isolated area, so nobody could see him talking to himself.

Then again, if his locker had been in a more populated area, he wouldn't have to respond at all.

"C'mon Cloud! Just let me use your body for a second! I swear I'll be back with the car real quick!"

"One second…" Cloud considered that for a moment. "That's probably just enough time for you to put the brakes down. So, no driving."

"You're so mean! I'm a good driver; I'll let you know that! I can keep both my hands on the wheel, alright?" Yuffie huffed.

Cloud stopped in his steps to look at her thoughtfully. "You know, I don't know if you've noticed because you sleep on the car sometimes, but Leon can drive with both his hands on the wheel while flipping somebody off."

"…Woah."

"Yeah." He continued walking again, rounding a corner to where his locker was. Seriously, his locker area felt like it was located in the outback sometimes.

"So I'm really not gonna get a chance to drive, huh?"

"Not a chance. I've got nothing to pay Leon with if you wreck his car…" Cloud replied absently, his steps slowing down as he tried to make out the dark figure leaning against his locker. The silhouette didn't seem familiar at all, and Leon was still in a meeting. Warily, he inched closer. He narrowed his eyes when the person pushed himself off the locker, seeming to have noticed Cloud's approach.

Yuffie finally became aware of the other person in the vicinity at the moment, and she was about to zip closer to see just who it was when he walked out into the more brightly-lit hallway.

"Zell!" she exclaimed, recognizing the boy with the tattoo and gelled up hair in an instant. At Cloud's wary glance at her, she hastily added, "Cloud, I suggest you get out of here real quick. Zell is the president of Squally's personal fan club and he's got the biggest ever crush on Squally! He's probably not happy you're dating Squally right now! Oh, scratch that. He's probably flaming pissed."

Cloud thought that running away was going to be a /little/ difficult. One, he was never the fastest runner. Two, he always became incredibly klutzy when he needed to get away fast. Murphy's Law adored him, sadly. And three, Cloud didn't want to look like a wimp. So… sticking it out, it was.

A tiny voice inside his mind teased him for being jealous. He crushed it relentlessly, but strangely enough, it was like some sort of resilient and extremely hardy bug that just wouldn't roll over and die.

In the few moments Cloud was trying to crush that voice, Zell had already made his way close enough for a talk. He nodded sharply to an empty classroom nearby, one that had long fallen derelict simply because no one used it anymore. Well, except as a storage space for some spare tables and chairs, but nobody else really used the room anymore.

"Can you spare me a few minutes?"

Despite Yuffie's warnings and pleas to hightail right away, Cloud nodded and followed Zell into the room. The girl slapped her forehead. Of all the times to be stubborn!

Throwing his backpack carelessly onto the ground, Zell spun around suddenly, face contorted in a mix of wry amusement and irritation. He tried to say something, but the words clamped up and come out in a series of gurgling sounds instead. He pulled at his hair, stomping his foot once or twice for good measure. After a few repeats of the above sequence, he finally burst out, "Oh damn it! I can't believe you managed to snatch Leon away! I… I… That's not fair! At first I thought it was just a short, few days thing, but no! It's been over two weeks and everyone's betting you two will stick together until graduation at least!"

Cloud blinked. Yuffie blinked along with him for a while until the words sunk into her head and she started to laugh. She was still pounding on the walls in her mirth when Zell started talking again.

"And you even have Fenrir! Do you know how much I've wanted that? I bugged Irvine about it everyday for months! And… and… Argh! I still can't believe you snatched Leon away! He's the prince of the school, the prince charming of everybody's fantasies, the prince of kendo, the ice prince, the…"

"Guy's… guy's like a bro- a broken record!" Yuffie gasped out in between her bouts of laughter. She was still pounding on the wall, tears springing out of her eyes as she continued to try and fail at stopping her laughter.

Cloud resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her. Lately, the girl seemed to be doing nothing but laugh, tease him and Leon, and roll in the air. Then again, there was a bit of truth in her words. Zell had been going on for the last few minutes about the various types of princes Leon was, prince this, prince that, prince everything. If Zell didn't stop, then Leon was going to pretty much rule the world.

"And oh, don't get me started on Fenrir! Do you know what it signifies!? It's not just an earring, alright? It's like… it's like…" Zell paused, struggling for the words to come to him. His eyes lit up suddenly. "It's like a token of love from Leon!"

The next thing he knew, Zell was going to tell him that Fenrir was some sort of weird rendition of Leon's engagement ring.

Thank goodness, Zell stopped after a while and took a deep breath, seemingly exhausted from the tirade he had kicked up. He wiped off a bead of sweat from his forehead as he leaned back into the stack of chairs behind him.

Yuffie, still giggling a little, floated next to Cloud. "I should have known that Zell is as harmless as a chocobo. His greatest and most dangerous weapon is his fast talking, but other than that, he's just a teddy bear. Maybe you can try to befriend him? He was my friend too, you know. Oh, I know! Treat him to the hotdogs in our school canteen! You'll become his new best friend instantly! I swear!"

Cloud shot her a look. _'Hotdogs?'_ his eyes asked.

She nodded, a smile brightening her visage.

* * *

Five minutes later, Cloud was simply amazed by the sheer number of hotdogs that had gone down Zell's throat. Seriously, he thought he could hear the hotdogs that were still on the plate in front of them screaming like crazy, begging for him to save them from the blond hotdog monster. Cloud politely averted his gaze when another hotdog yelled bloody murder as Zell started biting into it.

"Sho…" Zell started, the food in his mouth muffling his words. Pounding his chest, he swallowed everything before continuing, "So!"

It almost scared Cloud to see the way his new friend was gobbling the food down. In fact, his throat felt like it was choking. "Zell, the hotdogs can't run away from you. You… you should really slow down."

Zell chuckled loudly, slapping him on the back. "No worries! This is the way you enjoy your food, spike!"

"…Spike?"

"Your hair, silly!"

Yuffie, who was sitting on the table beside them both, rolled her eyes. "Pot, meet kettle."

Cloud had to bite down on his lips to prevent his chuckles from spilling, but it didn't really matter since Zell was talking a mile a minute and wouldn't hear him anyway. It seemed that Zell would always have a soft spot for people who offered him free hotdogs.

"Anyway, Cloud, so is Leon really a cat kind of guy like the rumours say?"

"…What? Cats?"

Zell nodded enthusiastically. "You know I'm president of Leon's personal fanclub, right? So I have this hobby of collecting information about him! But sometimes, I have no idea if it's just a rumour or if it's for real, and you know how hard it is to get things out of Leon's mouth," – he shrugged - "I've just been trying my best to dig more stuff on him, 'cause you know, he's my idol and all. I thought it would be good to understand him. So is he a cat person?"

Cloud went through his time with Leon quickly, scanning through the things they said date after date, and he suddenly realized: he didn't know. Leon had never mentioned a word to him about cats or any other animals, for that matter.

"I… I don't know."

"Seriously!? Man, I thought since you were his boyfriend and all, you would know this one! I've been like, asking people here and there, trying to get an answer out of Riku and Tidus even, but nothing turns up. All I know is that half the school population thinks Leon loves cats like crazy, and the other half believes Leon prefers moombas. Oh! And I have this exclusive piece of information from one of Leon's schoolmate in junior high who said Leon has a soft spot for dogs! In fact, this guy told me that Leon dated this Rinoa girl for a while simply because she had this really awesome dog called Angelo."

"Oh… really? I'd heard about Rinoa, but I didn't know she had a dog. And sorry, I really have no idea if Leon likes cats or moombas. Sorry." Cloud wasn't sure who he was apologizing to.

Yuffie was leaning onto the table and listening with rapt attention. Her jaw were slightly slack and her hazel eyes wide with admiration. "Seriously, I never knew Zell had such an aptitude to be a paparazzi. He'd dig up all sorts of celeb secrets if he applied for the job!" she commented offhandedly, almost wishing she could tell the blond to continue with the stories he had.

Zell's shoulder crumpled, his lower lip jutting out slightly. "Nah, it's alright. I guess I'll just have to check up on that one a bit more. Oh, and his favourite colour's black, right? I should know - he always wears something black."

Now that Cloud thought back to it, yeah, Zell was right: Leon was always wearing at least a little bit of black. Black leather jackets, black gloves, black belts, black shirts… Even in school, Leon added to his gear a pair of black shoes and black wrist straps. Why didn't Cloud ever notice that?

"Then…" –Zell tapped his chin thoughtfully and the hotdog in his hand sighed in relief- "is Leon a boxers guy, or does he prefer briefs?"

Cloud almost choked, and even Yuffie blushed. She cursed herself inwardly for not having enough guts to turn around that night when Leon had stayed over at Cloud's and just for god's sake, peek at what was underneath.

"I mean, I've tried asking the guys in the kendo locker room, but apparently they have this code of honour that they won't betray anyone's locker room secrets with outsiders. I almost wanted to join the kendo team just to find out the truth," Zell finished, popping the hotdog into his mouth as he did so. "And you know what? I've figured out why Leon doesn't wear bright-coloured socks on Monday. It's really simple, actually. You see, his neighbours have this really strange chocobo that likes pecking on bright-coloured shoes and socks when it's out of the house, and its owners /always/ let it out on Monday mornings. I've seen that chocobo run up to Leon for a cuddle, so it's not like it hates Leon, but its just got this weird compulsion to peck on anything that's in bright colours!"

Come to think of it, Cloud had never been to Leon's place before. Hell, he wasn't even sure where his boyfriend lived!

"Oh! And my proudest accomplishment in recent weeks! I found out Leon's got an exclusive sweet tooth for this one dessert!"

"Banana crumble?" Cloud supplied in a rush, almost too eager to get at least something right. His face fell when Zell shook his head vigorously.

"That's a pretty old one already! Every member in Leon's fan club knows that one. What I'm talking about, is a recent addition to his sweet tooth list."

Cloud felt himself burn up a little in embarrassment. "Vanilla ice cream?" he tried again, voice much weaker this time.

"Nah, it's butter cake. It's not exactly a dessert, I know, but well, considering the fact that Leon doesn't actually eat a lot of sweet stuff, I'd say it counts for something. And he's got these really high standards for butter cakes. Won't accept anything lesser. Last I heard, some girl in the fan club caught wind of this and tried to slot slices of butter cake into his locker. Leon just tossed everything away. Didn't even take a bite, simply because it -and I quote- 'didn't smell right'. The girl was like, totally devastated!"

Yuffie poked her friend, pouting when her finger passed through, but the action did get her Cloud's subtle attention. "You know… this butter cake thing might have started since that time when you…" Her words were left uncompleted when a book slammed onto their table, right in front of her. She squeaked and nearly fell off.

Both Zell and Cloud peered up, having recovered from their shock. Zell's eyes narrowed disdainfully, and he pushed himself off the chair to stand up and stare eye to eye to the uninvited guest. He crossed his arms, standing in a way that was slightly slouching but still defiantly strong. It was a move that seemed almost too practiced.

Cloud just frowned, finding himself slightly offended but he tried to tell himself it was how Seifer was, probably. So instead of taking a defensive stance like his companion, he merely stood up and greeted curtly, "Hi Seifer."

Seifer threw him a nod, acknowledging his presence, though his eyes never left Zell for a moment. That seemed to infuriate Zell even more, and Cloud could see his jaws tightening. "You know this first-class /jerk, Cloud?" he ground out caustically, making the jerk sound worse than the dust on the ground they were standing on.

Gulping, Yuffie wondered if she should just possess Cloud and help him get the hell out of there. She was the faster runner, anyway. She sighed when Cloud was saved from answering by Seifer's intervention, which she later found out didn't make things better, unfortunately.

"Is this chicken wuss giving you trouble, Cloud?"

"Chicken wuss!?" Zell protested heatedly.

"No, Zell and I were just talking about stuff. He's a nice guy, really! Really!" Cloud added the second 'really' just for good measure, because he honestly didn't like the evil gleam in Seifer's eyes. He knew Seifer was probably looking out for him like a good friend –Cloud still didn't see why the others labeled Seifer a troublemaker- but Cloud also knew his methods could be a little extreme sometimes.

Seifer arched an inquisitive eyebrow.

"I'm serious."

The raised eyebrow didn't look like it was going to be lowered anytime soon.

Zell's own eyebrow twitched violently at the implication, even though he thought he was long used to Seifer's brand of insult and abuse. It didn't seem like that was the case though. Grabbing the very last hotdog left on his plate, Zell threw Cloud a careless wave. "Hey Cloud, I'll see you around. And," –he shot Seifer an intense glare- "take care of yourself, especially in front of this first-class jerk." With that, he sauntered off, popping the hotdog into his mouth as he did so. Dusting his palms together to get rid of any extra crumbs, he disappeared around a corner.

"Now that chicken wuss is gone," Seifer drawled, raking a hand through his hair, "you want to come with me to my locker to get the book? It's not everyday we get to see each other, even in school. And that asshole boyfriend of yours isn't even around. Perfect timing, I'd say."

Both Cloud and Yuffie gasped, but it was Yuffie who yelled, "Leon! We totally forgot about him!" And she promptly began to give her friend a rundown of all the possibilities that ranged from Leon downright freaking out and running everywhere in search of him, to a sudden lapse of sanity and call the police to report a missing person.

Cloud gulped at those thoughts. Leon was going to be mad at him.

"Err, Seifer? I'll get that book from you another time! I, I totally forgot Leon's waiting for me in the car park!" he said in a rush and dashed off after giving his friend a pat on his shoulders. He ignored Seifer's yells for him to stop.

As they rushed off hastily, Yuffie spared one last look behind her shoulder. She almost shivered at the intense gaze Seifer's eyes were burning into Cloud's rapidly disappearing silhouette. There was a trace of anger and irritation, but most of it, she couldn't decipher. It was probably nothing good though. Resolutely, she made up her mind to keep a closer watch on Cloud.

* * *

When Cloud finally got to Leon's car, parked right under a tree's fitful shade, he was surprised to find it void of any human presence. It looked untouched since that morning they had left it to go for class.

He heaved a sigh of relief just as Yuffie caught up with him, exclaiming and grumbling about how Leon could make the two of them quite literally lose their breaths even though he wasn't around. Disregarding the fact that she didn't actually needed to breathe anymore, of course. Cloud just waved her complains off and strolled lazily over to the car.

Or to be more precise, what would have been a lazy stroll had someone not suddenly barreled right into him and slammed him into something hard. Cloud yelped, instincts screaming for him to kick the offender in the shins or punch him in the guts so he could make a run for it. Before he could, however, his vision focused to settle on the brunet who was currently pinning him against his car door.

" Le, Leon?" Cloud congratulated himself for not squeaking.

The brunet looked decidedly frustrated and relieved at the same time, eyebrows knitted deeply together and his jaws taut with tension. His arms were gripping Cloud's arms with enough force to bruise, thought it didn't seem like he had noticed. Thankfully, he let go before any real harm could be done, letting his hands cup his boyfriend's cheeks.

"Where were you!? Do you have any idea how worried I was when I got here to find my car empty? I thought you had gotten hurt or worse, mauled by some… some gangs waiting for me to beat the living daylights out of!" Leon hissed, looking like a snake who was eyeing its prey with ill intent. His thumbs, however, conveyed another message as they stroked Cloud's cheeks hastily but tenderly. "And then you just… you just traipse here, looking nothing worse for wear! You, you idiot!"

Cloud cringed at the insult, knowing full well that he did deserve that somewhat. Yuffie patted him on the head sheepishly, muttering her consolations, and dare he think it, condolences.

"I'm… I'm sorry. I just… met erm," –he didn't think it would be such a good idea to mention Zell or Seifer, especially when Leon was already as mad as he was- "a friend in the hallway and we chatted, and I didn't realize… we had talked for so long. I'm sorry," he mumbled, lowering his gaze and half-hoping to be anywhere but here. But that thought left him as swift as it came when he noticed Leon's perspiration-laced face, sweat-soaked uniform and his deep panting. Guilt struck him like a bolt of lightning as he realized that the brunet must have looked for him all over the place. Cloud suddenly felt so loathsome.

"I'm sorry."

He heard a deep sigh, and then there was a finger under his chin, gently lifting his head up. Cloud bit his bottom lip, feeling more than a little trepidation. Those negative emotions were swept away like a leaf drifting on the river, however, when Leon leaned their foreheads together, his grey eyes softening.

"Don't do this again, alright?"

Smiling softly, Cloud nodded.

Yuffie cocked her head, scratching her chin at how things were suddenly turning. Both her friends were drama queens, definitely. Oh well. That made the show more entertaining, in her opinion, and Cloud got more sweet doting.

The tension that had previously wrecked Leon's shoulders seeped away, and he returned the smile. Tenderly, he brushed a chaste kiss against Cloud's lips before letting go and straightening up. "Now, shall we go? It's times like this that calls for your favourite vanilla ice cream. I bet the ice cream's already screaming your name," he joked lightly.

For some reason, Cloud stiffened at those words, spoken so carelessly and so sincerely. It reminded him of his conversation with Zell. Vanilla ice cream was his favourite, not Leon's. He felt like he was forcing Leon to eat the treat with him. And before today, he didn't even know what Leon's new favourite sweet dessert was. And how many more things did he not know about Leon? He was Leon's boyfriend, for god's sake! So why couldn't he answer a single question Zell had posed him?

And Zell knew everything! Gods, that boy was talking about Leon's socks –his socks!- when Cloud was still wondering about… well, about everything!

His heart sunk.

"Cloud?" Leon prodded gently. He was looking at him with those soft, concerned eyes again.

"Sorry, I…I don't feel like having ice cream today. Could you just… Could you just send me home?"

Beside him, Yuffie gaped. "Cloudster? Are you alright? You're, you're refusing vanilla ice cream!"

"I really don't want anything right now," Cloud muttered, feeling like some lowlife all of a sudden. He was aware how stupid he was being, getting upset over such a small thing when he'd known people who never knew their girlfriend's favourite colour was after dating for years, or even married couples who found out the other hated their favourite food only after their divorce. He knew people like that, so considering the fact that he'd been dating Leon for only a little over two weeks, it didn't seem so bad.

But…there was just something inherently… wrong, with not knowing these small details of Leon's life.

Leon wrapped his arms around Cloud's wiry frame, making soothing circles on his back. "Are you mad at me? Because I yelled at you earlier?"

"No! It's not that! I just, I just don't feel up to going out today. Leon, just send me home?"

The brunet was silent for a few moments, his eyes never leaving Cloud as though searching for something. Then, with a sigh, he nodded.

-tbc-

**Teaser for next chapter: **In which Leon makes a sudden decision, Cloud gets tricked into blurting out his feelings, Yuffie finds proof of Leon's stalker tendencies, Zell finally finds out the answer to his boxer-or-briefs question, Seifer throws a fit and the gang freaks out.

**A/N:** I apologize for the very long wait for this chapter. I honestly wanted to post this up sooner, but ah, a lot of RL things got in the way and I didn't have time to write at all. I can't guarantee if the next chapter will be up soon, but I'll try to write faster.

Anyway, please comment if you've enjoyed this chapter! It may be a long shot, but if this chapter gets the fic to 400 reviews, then I'll polish up a half-finished (and sitting on my hard disk gathering dust) Leon/Cloud one-shot and post it within December. And _if_, for some reasons, reviews break the 450 mark, I'll also post the conclusion to _The Pets Chronicle _in December. Either that, or an update for _Vanilla Souffle_. This is my weird way of apologizing for the long wait, I guess. /sweatdrops/

Again, sorry for the long wait. /smiles sheepishly/

**Edit:** I'm leaving this in response to an anonymous review left for this chapter. First off, this is not really an apology though I'm sorry I made you feel that way; rather, this is just my perspective on why I did things the way I did.

Maybe I wasn't being clear on my earlier message, but I'm actually pretty busy in December, and my life will be completely hectic next year. That means that if I really do make anymore updates this month, I am taking time off from other, more important stuff in RL just to write. I admit, writing fanfics is my hobby and I really don't mind. But I don't always _have _time to write.

So the one-shot I promised to post if this chapter hits 400 reviews is _not_ a reward for that amount of reviews. It's a _signal_, that tells me that yes, my reviewers liked this chapter and maybe they'll like to see another one-shot from me. And once I get that signal, I'll actually go and finish up that fic.

I will finish up and post that one-shot, whether or not I get 400 reviews for Vanilla. It's just a matter of when I can finish it and when I can post it. The fic is _not_, and I stress, some sort of reward for reviewing. I don't see reviewers as people who need treats and other sweeteners to prompt them to review. As cheesy as it may sound, I see all my reviewers as a cross between critics and friends. So yes, if you've left me long or personal and special reviews, chances are, I remember you, and I smile when I see another review from you.

So if my previous message sounded like I was trying to manipulate you into reviewing, I apologize for sounding that way even if that was never my intentions.

Lastly, if you still feel upset by my message, I'm sorry to say this is all I can do. Thanks for reading and reviewing (which you still did), but if you want to talk to me further about this, leave me a signed message. No, I'm not going to leak out your nick and get people to bombard your account or something of the likes, but rather, it's something I want to reply to and leaving a message on the fic itself is the only way I can reach you if you leave anon reviews. And thanx for alerting me to the fact how my previous message could be misinterpreted. I should find better words to express myself, hmm?


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Vanilla part 8

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: LxC

Warnings: AU, romance, sap, fluff, humour, OOC-ness

Word count: 11201

Rating: R

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to lay claim to Cloud, I'm kinda scared of Leon's gunblade. So well, I don't own Kingdom Hearts and its character, and neither do I own the various Final Fantasies and their characters.

Note: This fic is inspired by the Japanese manga _Eerie Queerie. _And this fic's theme song is Gackt's _Vanilla_. /sniggers/

Summary: Cloud's only friend, Yuffie, had just died a few weeks ago. However, Yuffie can't move on to the next world and so she follows Cloud around in his daily life. And she just can't resist the opportunity to play the finest prank on Cloud by possessing his body and confessing to someone… LxC

* * *

Somehow, Cloud had gotten used to looking out of the window whenever he was in Leon's car. Even though the scenery outside was nothing he had not seen before, it just felt different to see them like this, as though a mere pane of glass suddenly made every colour more alive, more captivating. Yet, this time, while Cloud kept gazing out of the window, his eyes saw nothing. It was like his mind was too busy racing a mile an hour to process the vibrant colours zooming and zipping by.

It was only when the car pulled into a driveway, coming to a complete halt, that Cloud realized that he wasn't home at all. In fact, it was a place he was sure he had never been to in his entire life.

Frowning, he turned to his side, where Leon was busy checking if he had turned everything off.

" Leon? Where is this place?"

The brunet looked up from the dashboard and offered him a warm smile. "My home."

"Your… your home? But I-!"

Leon gave his hand a firm squeeze before getting out of the car. Seeing that there was no winning this, Cloud got out as well. He was surprised when he heard a soft, curious wark at his feet, and his heart promptly melted when he looked down and noticed a little chocobo, the size of a chicken, gazing at him. It flapped its wings and cooed happily when Cloud knelt down to give it a pat, stroking its shiny feathers.

Yuffie glided out of the backseat and positively squealed at the sight of the ball of feathers. She was forced to retract her hand, which had reached out almost in a trance to touch it, however, when the seemingly meek chocobo turned and snapped its beak like a vicious trap. Guess it was true that animals were much more sensitive to their surroundings than humans… She pouted.

Cloud just chuckled at her and picked up the chocobo, ticking its belly and drawing contented little clucks from its throat.

"That's my neighbour's pet. His name is Boco," Leon introduced as he walked over. "Boco's got this strange disease that compels to him peck at all white socks, so thank god you're not wearing any." He chuckled.

The blond blinked. But Zell had said… "Isn't it bright-coloured socks and shoes? Doesn't Boco peck on all bright-coloured socks and shoes? And that's why you don't wear those on Mondays?"

"Where did you hear that from?"

Startled at how easily he had leaked out his conversation with Zell earlier, he quickly turned back to playing with the bird. "Oh! Erm, just… heard it… around."

If Leon thought that was strange, he didn't say anything. Instead, he carefully plucked Boco out of Cloud's hands and set him on the ground, giving him a few warnings about running too far away from home before sending him off. Boco gave Cloud another flap of his wings and a wark, and then turned tail to run off to play with another kid in the neighbourhood.

Cloud couldn't help but smile as he watched Boco nuzzle the kid's hands, even more so when he heard Yuffie's grumbles about chocobos that were so not cute. Taking a deep breath, he gazed around at the serene neighbourhood made up of neatly-aligned house and tree-lined avenues, accentuated by the many lawn art and lovely little gardens, livened up by the people, the chocobos, the dogs and other pets that maintained the serenity despite their coos, their laughter and their words. This neighbourhood felt like a little slice of heaven tucked away on earth.

"So this is where you live…" he said softly, feeling a breeze kiss him.

Leon nodded. Taking Cloud's hand, he led him to a dainty house that looked almost a little too sweet to be Leon's. "I know you said you wanted to go home, but then when I thought about it, I realized that well… Your home, my home, does it matter? It's just a matter of time that my home will become yours as well, like how yours will also become mine. So I thought it would be good if you came here today, to at least take a look."

Cloud paused in his steps, his heart nearly stilling at the underlying implication of that statement. He was further taken aback by the relative ease and nonchalance it had been spoken with. "What do you mean? Your home will become… my home?"

Yuffie whistled, clearly impressed. Seriously, she never thought Leon possessed such a sappy love bone in him! With a quick move, she shot to the front to peek at the brunet, and lo and behold, just as she had expected, there was a blush fighting its way up his face. She giggled.

"It's just a matter of time," Leon replied, but refused to elaborate further. He just concentrated on opening the door, and once he did, he ushered Cloud inside.

The air inside was warmer but there was no stuffiness about it at all. Cloud's eyes swept across the place, noting without any surprise that it was clean and neat, just as he had expected of Leon. Every piece of furniture seemed to be a perfect blend of aesthetics and practicality, with smooth, clean lines and refined edges. The walls were painted a dusky yellow and decorated by a slim, classical frieze that ran across the borders like a canvas frame. When Cloud stepped inside, he felt his feet instantly cooled by the milky marble tiles underneath him.

There was the living room, adorned by a comfy sofa and a huge, sleek grey television set resting against the wall, flanked by a complete sound system that stood guard silently beside it. Newspapers graced the tabletop in a neat stack by the side. Then there was the dining room, lived in by the wooden table and chairs and a lamp that hung above them all. Cloud could imagine eating there, basking in its lazy light. And there was the kitchen, filled up with cabinets lined up in an orderly fashion, a clean stove, a dry sink and a huge fridge. Cloud chuckled at the bowl of half-eaten banana crumble.

He was about to climb up the stairs when Leon grabbed his wrist and guided him to the living room couch. When he protested about wanting to see Leon's room, the brunet told him, rather sheepishly, that everything was in a mess. Cloud would have said more, but then Leon quickly added that Cloud would have lots of chances in the future, and he just blushed and conceded.

That didn't stop Yuffie from guffawing like a hyena and zipping upstairs.

"Now, Cloud… tell me what's bothering you. I have vanilla ice cream in the freezer if you want."

Cloud stared at him. "Why would you have that? Someone in your family eats it?"

"I'm the only one. My father eats only chocolate, and my sister loves nothing but cookies and cream."

"But… why? You don't like vanilla ice cream, right?"

Leon tapped his nose playfully. "Like I've said, vanilla ice cream is an acquired taste, and with a boyfriend like you, how can I not learn to like it?" he teased gently, if not a little awkwardly, like he wasn't exactly sure how to. "And now, tell me what's bothering you or I'll withhold the ice cream from you."

It almost made Cloud smile, the way Leon was trying to cheer him up when it was so obvious it wasn't something he did much. But the smile faded away before it could even surface when he remembered the reason why he was so upset in the first place. He shook his head slowly.

That was when Leon lifted his chin and looked intently into his eyes, probing for something so fixedly and earnestly it made Cloud blush and fidget. It almost felt like some weird sort of invasion into his soul, if that was at all possible.

"Did Zell say something to you?"

Out of all the things Cloud had expected Leon to say, that was definitely not one of them. In fact, just on the sheer randomness of that sentence alone had let it ranked top in his 'impossible conversation gambit'. He gaped. A second later, he began sputtering. Another second later, he gave up when he realized his sputtering was making no sense at all.

Thankfully, Leon understood him despite the sputtering.

"Of all the people I know, only Zell is crazy enough to find out why I don't wear white socks on Mondays, or actually even /notice/ I don't wear white socks on Mondays. And I happen to know he's stalked me to my home before, so, well, it wasn't that hard to guess. You did say you were chatting with someone before meeting up with me earlier too," Leon explained, casually closing Cloud's slackened jaw before leaning in for a quick peck. "So, what did Zell say to you?"

At the reminder, Cloud regained his composure. "Well, nothing really…"

"It's something if it's making you upset enough to refuse vanilla ice cream."

"You're going to laugh."

"I won't."

"You will."

"I won't. If I do laugh, you have permission to hit me."

"…Really?" At Leon's solemn nod, Cloud started to talk, voice not louder than an intimate murmur, "Zell was just telling me about you, and he said all sorts of things that went from your socks to your favourite colour, and I realized…" –his hand reached out of its own accord to stroke Leon's cheek, as though in a stupor- "I realized that there're so many things about you that I don't know."

It was just a twitch of his lips, at first. Then upon realizing the sheer seriousness Cloud was looking at the issue with, Leon finally could not suppress the bubbles of laughter that just burst out of his frame. Not only was he laughing, he was laughing so hard Cloud felt indignant enough to hold him to his word and rolled up a copy of the newspaper from the coffee table to hit him. The attacks rained down on him like a meteor shower, but even as the brunet was holding up both his arms to protect himself, he still couldn't stop the laughter.

"You said you wouldn't laugh!"

Hit. Hit. Hit. Slam. Yelp.

"Cl-Cloud! Stop!" Leon yelled, arms shooting out to grab his boyfriend's hand and weapon of choice. "Look, I'm sorry. I wasn't laughing at you. Honest. I was just… amused by the fact that you perceive yourself not knowing me as well as Zell as a problem! Cloud, we've been together for what? A little over two weeks? And Zell has been stalking me for a little under two years. You can't expect to bridge that gap so soon. Besides," he lowered his voice, pulling Cloud closer to whisper huskily into his ear, "you'll have lots of chances and a much longer time to learn all you want about me."

Cloud shivered uncontrollably, his heart speeding up like a racecar. Sometimes, it seemed that Leon would always know what buttons to push to make him feel instantly better.

"I'm a boxers guy, by the way," Leon added throatily, his warm breath tickling the shell of Cloud's ear. Cloud could just hear the smirk in his voice. "But if I'm wearing leather pants, I usually go commando."

The blond squeaked and tried to back away, but Leon's firm grasp on his waist hindered his escape. He didn't like the feral, predatory grin on his boyfriend's face. "What, what was that for!? I didn't ask to… to know that!"

Leon leered, a mischievous light dancing in his grey eyes. "You're the one who wanted to know me better. Besides, I'm pretty sure Zell has asked you about that. Boxers or briefs, he probably asked. He's been asking the whole kendo team about that, but we're a close-knit group so everyone's been quiet about it."

"And the… commando thing? Zell didn't ask that!"

"Bonus information, only for my boyfriend," Leon breathed, a smirk still plastered onto his face like some permanent fixture. It widened -if it was possible- when Cloud blushed deeply, in that uniquely adorable way that was so distinctively him. Leon gave into his impish urges and lifted Cloud into his lap, pressing their bodies closer for the culminating heat, and he delivered the killing blow. "Tell him you found out about that on my living room couch. He'll make the connections by himself."

Cloud punched him in the shoulders, to which Leon only chuckled.

"And now, time for a little get-to-know-Leon session, hmm? Where do you want me to start from?"

"Huh?" He flinched when Leon flicked him in the forehead and asked –no, practically demanded- him to ask him about anything. Cloud, still a little overwhelmed and confused, asked him about his family.

"My father's a businessman, and he's usually busy with work at home or globe-trotting. In fact, he's on another business trip right now in Twilight Town. Already been there for the last two weeks, but he'll be back this Thursday. And I've an elder sister –her name's Ellone- but she's living in the university dorms. She comes home almost every other weekend though."

Cloud noticed the blatant lack of Leon's mother, but he kept his mouth shut.

And then it struck him: Leon had been alone at home for the past two weeks? No wonder his boyfriend had so much time for him. Cuddling closer, he wrapped his arms around Leon's neck and resolved to ask Leon home for dinner later. He had never enjoyed eating his meals alone, and he guessed Leon probably didn't either. Thoughtlessly, he pressed a soft kiss to Leon's forehead as though trying to make up.

"You know, Zell told me earlier that you've recently acquired a taste for butter cakes. Is that true?"

"Not exactly. I don't inhale all the butter cakes I see," Leon replied. Then his lips curled again when an idea came to him. "But I really wouldn't mind a slice of the ones you bake…" he trailed off, whispering a teasing finger across Cloud's lips and chuckling when he drew a sharp intake of air from his boyfriend. He was the one surprised, however, when Cloud turned the tables around by kissing the finger. It seemed that pretending to be sick and let the blond play nurse for one day was enough to draw out all his latent passion and impish tendencies. Leon loved that. Vaguely, he wondered how many more sides to Cloud he could draw out.

"Come over tonight then. My mother's working the evening shift so we'll have a late dinner. That'll give me enough time to bake something. And then you can stay for dinner too, so you won't have to eat alone at home."

So now it was the sweet and loving side to Cloud? Leon decided he liked this side of Cloud very much. He leaned in for a kiss, sucking and nibbling softly on those cherry lips only his boyfriend possessed, plundering, ravishing, and preying on that warm mouth like he was the hunter and Cloud, the wide-eyed rabbit. Leon was forced to reconsider that analogy when the blond positively mewled, clawing at his shirt. Looks like the kiss had awakened the kittenish side to his boyfriend. Just one kiss to awake, his mind noted playfully, much like the proverbial sleeping beauty. He chuckled at that before deepening the kiss.

However, before he could, Cloud's lips danced out of range and Cloud flicked his forehead. "Don't distract me! I've still got a ton of questions to ask."

Leon supposed this was the spirited, feisty and slightly catty side to Cloud. He could think of no other suitable description as he rubbed his forehead and watch his boyfriend contemplate his next question. Vaguely, Leon wondered if he could try summoning the kittenish side out again.

Cloud sighed mentally, glad to have taken care of that kissing machine for a bit at least. It seemed that whatever they did, Leon could link it to a desire to kiss and just start making out with his lips wherever they were. And the worst part? Cloud was starting to doubt his ability to stop should the kisses get too heated. As it was, his body was already screaming at him to latch his lips onto Leon's again, or better yet, just spend the rest of the day kissing and groping. Traitor… His heart was not faring any better, and it was demanding for him to just let Leon have his way for once. His mind was the sanest of the bunch, though Cloud was aware that if Leon didn't stop kissing him, then it wouldn't be long before his mind started taking vacations, or worse, start rolling happily in the gutter.

No, it was better to distract himself.

"Who's your favourite singer? And song, if you have any."

He swallowed hard when he noticed the leer on Leon's face.

"Gackt. Favourite song? Vanilla. Love the guitar solo, and of course, the… lyrics."

Cloud's mind helpfully added the word 'raunchy', and try as he might, he couldn't ignore the implications. God, Cloud was never going to see his favourite ice cream flavour in the same way again.

"So… you like vanilla ice cream? I'm not… forcing you to eat it with me, am I?"

"Of course not. I'll admit: I didn't like it all that much before dating you, but after eating it a few times, I think it's pretty okay." Then, Leon looked at him very seriously and added, "It makes me think of you, and I like that."

Cloud smiled.

"And… and favourite animal? Are you a cat person?"

"Cats are alright, but they're not my favourite. I still prefer chocobos."

"Because of Boco?"

He started to worry for his chastity again when Leon leered. Again.

"I guess you could say Boco comes in second, but he's still a far cry from my favourite chocobo. My /favourite/ chocobo… he's absolutely gorgeous, likes to blush, gets jealous when I mention my ex-girlfriend, is a wonderful cook, and he's utterly, utterly kittenish when we kiss…" Leon breathed huskily, slowly sliding a hand up his boyfriend's inner thigh as he did so, teasing a hot trail of searing fireworks in its wake. The hand stilled in its tracks, however, when Cloud stiffened, his breath catching in his throat like a fearful lump. Leon cursed inwardly. He was about to apologize for pushing too far again but Cloud hesitantly covered his hand with his own and carefully set them both on his waist, offering him a shy, sheepish smile.

It took Leon's breath away.

With what resembled a war cry, he launched himself at Cloud and pinned him onto the couch. Cloud's yelps were instantly swallowed by blazing lips and his protests silenced by tender hands roaming across his torso, careful to never wander too far down. Leon grinned when, after a short instance of complete stillness, Cloud started to return his loving ministrations, knowing full well that he had called his kitten back to his side again. He just had to be careful and not scare his lovely kitten away again. He moaned lightly when a hand slinked down the expanse of his back.

On the other hand, Cloud just conceded defeat, realizing that his mind was indeed, already living in the gutter and too warm and comfy there to leave. He did, however, still managed to slap Leon's hands when they got too close to his groin. At least he didn't object too much when the brunet tore away his vest and unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt, nor did he object when those lips started sucking gently on his neck.

Instead, he let his fingers submerge into the silk of Leon's hair, enjoying the velvetiness as he wove into them more. He loved the soft texture of his boyfriend's hair; it always enveloped his fingers so warmly, and it was so fun to play with. Cloud twirled a lock around absently, losing his hold only when Leon's lips trekked a fiery path up his neck, planting kiss upon kiss until it all culminated in a rough capture of his own dry lips.

The kiss was rougher than what Cloud was used to, and he felt like Leon was a man stranded in a desert for far too long and he was his oasis. The desperation, the neediness and the sheer joy he felt bleed through the kiss shocked Cloud. His heart missed a beat, and when it recovered, he obediently granted easier access, allowing the other to drink him, taste him, take him. The heat rushing up his cheeks dusted his cheeks like a pink blusher, making him resemble a girl on her first date. Vaguely, he wondered if Leon liked him this way.

He was not given more time to think, not when Leon left his lips and attacked his neck with renewed vigour.

Almost wantonly, Cloud moaned as he threw his head back with abandon. " Le- Leon!" The juncture between his neck and shoulder was starting to hurt, the pain throbbing. But the pain paled in comparison to the pleasure that was rushing through his body, wave after wave, surge after surge. It was thrilling, the way it made his blood boil and adrenaline pump. The sheer delight of having those lips meander across his body excited him.

Only Leon could make him feel this way.

Suddenly, Leon's warmth abandoned him, and as a chilly breeze whispered down his body, Cloud whimpered helplessly. He wanted Leon to come back. He wanted Leon to touch him more. He wanted Leon to kiss him. His hands reached out like those of a lonely child, silently asking for someone to offer a tender caress, a soft gaze, or even, a love to keep him warm for the rest of his life.

Leon's breath hitched in his throat when Cloud's shaking hand grabbed his shirt –when had it fallen out of his pants, anyway?- and tugged lightly, not for lack of trying but for a lack of strength. The image that greeted his eyes was a sight to behold; the blond was sprawled underneath him, sultry blue eyes half-closed and unfocused, cheeks dyed pink with not just the humid heat but also with arousing coyness, swollen lips parted, and chest heaving as he struggled to breathe amidst the haze of pleasure. Leon swallowed, had to withhold the temptation to grab a camera to put this moment away for eternity, and he stilled for a moment.

Why had he removed himself from Cloud's warmth, anyway?

No, he had to get back, he needed to get back there, to feel the sweltering heat between their bodies again.

His eyes darkened with passion when he noticed, right before he was about to pounce again, a droplet of perspiration rolling down Cloud's neck. It was just a small drop at first, but it snowballed as it descended down the smooth expanse of the blond's neck, gathering strength from other small rivulets until it rolled out of sight, hidden by Cloud's shirt.

Leon, for the shortest of moments, felt a mild distaste for the bead of water.

He quickly divested himself of his obstructing vest, and his shirt followed mere seconds later. They ended up in a messy pile on the floor as Leon dove in again for Cloud's lips, ravishing them once more. Cloud was only too happy to oblige, and the sweet little noises he made was driving Leon crazy. There were no words, only moans, whimpers, and soft intonations of sound with more meaning than language could ever have given them. His hands worked in a frenzied pace as they careened across Cloud's body, the blond's shirt now hanging off one shoulder.

Leon's inner self punched the air in jubilation when Cloud pulled him back in for another deep kiss.

* * *

Hiding out on the staircase, Yuffie pouted. She didn't want to disturb the lovebirds, but she wanted to tell Cloud the real reason why Leon refused to show him his room too! That lovesick brat had stuck Cloud's photos all over his room, most of which she could tell were taken ages ago, long before they ever hooked up. She'd always suspected -and ignoring how she had always actively encouraged Leon to and had even told him where Cloud would be hanging out on a few occasions- but now she had finally gotten evidence that Leon had stalked her childhood friend!

She wanted to tell Cloud right away, damn it!

If she could just break up the make out session… then again, that looked pretty hot…

Oh well, she'd sate her voyeurism instincts first then.

Hell yeah! Stick that hand right down there! Go, Leon, go! Argh, bad Cloud for slapping that hand away…

Still, even with that little bit of resistance, there was no doubt left in Yuffie's mind that her childhood best friend was a sufferer of one of the world's most dangerous disease: the ultimate uke syndrome (1).

Oh, it wasn't fatal. Not at all. In fact, it was a pretty common disease among pretty boys, after coming into contact with rabid fangirls or with their destined seme. The danger of the disease came from, instead, the fact that semes would be drawn to him like honey-deprived bees to the most delicious honey in the entire world, whether he wanted or not. Yuffie could just see hordes of guys crowding around her little uke friend, bugging him for his phone number or something. And then Leon would be there to bite all their heads off for even attempting to touch Cloud.

She sighed with amusement, and imagined herself garbed in a white lab coat, clipboard and pen in hand to jot down all her observations down to paper for the benefit of all future mankind.

_Doctor Yuffie's observations __of Cloud Strife's Ultimate Uke Syndrome: _

_Sufferer totally melts after a few kisses to the lips, kinda like butter in a microwave, only cuter and much more appealing. He is also prone to gasping, moaning, sudden shouts and a myriad of all of the aforementioned while writhing helplessly under his seme. It is at this point of time that the sufferer will claw at his seme's back, prompting him to remove his vest and unbutton his shirt that has suddenly become such irritating obstructions, to which his seme will comply happily and very eagerly. _

_Sufferer of the disease will also be unable to voice out anything but his seme's name, which in this case is a whole long string of, "Leon, Leon, Leon… Le-leon!" Repeat pattern. The sentence may come out as a breathy whisper, a series of moans and gasps, or even a shout, but it is almost never coherent. _

_Blushing bright enough to put the sun out of a job is another of the symptoms, especially when the blush is not an embarrassed sort of blush but rather, the type of blush that is a combination of embarrassment, coyness, barely veiled pleasure and previously hidden fantasies. Sufferer may blush like this all the way through his make-out session with his seme. _

_The uke's release of pheromones is likely to push his seme into overdrive further, and also acts as a cue for him to start kissing and biting the uke's neck and chest area like crazy. Such an act is probably due to the fact that the seme feels the need to mark the uke as his own and prevent other semes from claiming his uke. It should be noted that some semes can be insanely jealous, and may feel compelled to tell the world, "This one is mine!" It should /also/ be noted that sufferers of the ultimate uke syndrome tend to secretly /like/ such claims, even if they may try to act otherwise. _

Yuffie mentally reviewed her notes. Seriously, Cloud and Leon provided her with the best material for yaoi doujinshis. Why couldn't she pick up a pencil to draw all those lovely scenes out?

As she was sighing and lamenting her inability to hold a pencil, a sound suddenly wailed shrilly throughout the house, much like a banshee. Almost immediately, there was a loud yelp, a flail of limbs, a crash, a crack and a pained groan.

Shaking her head, Yuffie added onto her notes.

_Sufferer has the tendency to be easily scared out of any pleasurable haze, be it a catcall or even a door bell. And unfortunately for his seme, the uke has an almost 100 percent success rate of pushing him off right away, resulting in a not so pleasurable friendship with the hard, hard floor. _

* * *

Cloud was never going to look up ever again. He didn't think he would /ever/ have the courage to lift his head and risk seeing the smug grin and knowing grin on Yuffie's face that were just one singsong away from the abhorred 'I told you so'. As it was, he was already finding it incredibly difficult to keep himself from digging a hole and hide, just from a mental image of how the girl must be sniggering at him.

Ten minutes ago, he had been caught in a haze of pleasure, the flames within him stoked to slowly reach the heights of heaven. Leon's hands had whispered across his body so tenderly and lovingly, encouraging the fire to intensify until it was a raging inferno; those lips had danced across his neck and collarbone, tasting him ardently like a poor man who had just been offered the world's greatest treasure; and those eyes! It made Cloud burn just thinking of them, the way they had roamed over his body, fervor there for all to see and remember.

Cloud thought he was never going to move again.

And then, the door bell rang.

Before he was aware of what he was doing, Leon was already sitting up and leaning against the couch he had just tumbled down from, massaging his left arm that had been unfortunate enough to make the acquaintance of the coffee table and tiled floor.

There had been barely a second for him to apologize before Leon hurriedly put on his shirt, which he had taken off and tossed away earlier, and went to get the door. He returned some minutes later with a parcel in hand and a message for his father, and so it only made sense that he went upstairs to his father's study room to leave the parcel there and make a call.

And Yuffie promptly floated out from wherever she had been hiding earlier, wearing her patented Cheshire cat grin and looking smug enough to want to pick her teeth with a toothpick or something.

That was… roughly five minutes ago.

And Yuffie was still grinning at him.

The worst thing, honestly, was the fact that she had not yet teased him about his erm, downtime with Leon. It wasn't like her to /not/ tease him at all. Uh uh. It just wasn't her style. The Yuffie Cloud knew was the type who would not stop teasing once she had gotten sufficient ammunition to tease her victim into the next century. Or maybe even into the next life.

The silence was unnerving him.

Just when he was deciding between bolting for the door and run home or bolting upstairs for Leon to kiss him and provoke the girl into teasing him, Yuffie finally showed a little mercy.

"You know…" she started, voice low and conniving.

"I know what you're going to say!" Cloud suddenly snapped, much like a Venus flytrap trying to get rid of the constant buzzing of an irritating fly that had been circling him. He lifted his head that was still burning with embarrassment and glared at Yuffie, daring her to say another word. "I know I just made out with Leon! And I know that I didn't resist. At all. And before you ask, yes, I liked it, alright!? And, and, and…" An even deeper blush erupted on his face and he bowed his head, as though the adrenaline gained from his outburst was seeping away, but the action only served to make him resemble a virgin bride on her first night even more. "…and I…"

Yuffie sighed dreamily, raising a hand to cup her cheek and wiped away an imaginary tear. "Oh, Cloudster! I'm so glad you've finally admitted all that to yourself! As they say, admitting the problem is the first step towards curing it," she said. Then, her voice turned sly, and the previously dreamy smile on her lips morphed into a shrewd smirk. "But you know, I wasn't going to tease you about that."

Blink. Blink. "…Ah, you weren't?"

"Of course not! I knew all those before you even said them, so where's the fun in teasing you about that?"

"…Oh."

"What I /was/ going to tell you –before you so kindly interrupted and made your wonderful admission, that is- I saw tons of your photos in Leon's room. And I do mean tons. There's this whole stack on his table, and then I stuck my head inside his cabinets, and there they were, even more photos. I guess some of them are out of focused or something, that's why he's got several copies of the same pose."

Cloud frowned. He didn't recall taking any photos with Leon before… So where did all the photos come from? From their yearbook? But then again, photos from yearbooks couldn't be out of focus… Maybe someone had sold his photos to Leon? He tossed that idea around his head for a bit before it struck him as impossible: the only person close enough to get his photos to sell was Yuffie, and the girl didn't know Leon liked him so there was no point in selling his photos. Was there someone else? Maybe… maybe… maybe…

Suddenly, a hand slammed down on the table in front of him and he jumped.

"Honestly! Here I am, trying to tell you the biggest news of the century, and you tune me out," Yuffie grumbled, sounding rather disgruntled with her arms crossed. "But I guess that means you've realize the weird thing about this situation, right? So the question here is: why would Leon have your photos?"

"…Because, someone sold him my photos?"

Yuffie almost choked and she quickly coughed to clear her throat. A faint blush stole up her face, but it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "Well, nice try, but not quite."

Cloud raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"I think –and I'm quite sure I'm right, because of all the weird camera angles and next to no usage of flash photography- Leon took photos of you before you two hooked up. Secretly! Discreetly! Just like a stalker! All of those photos! Oh, some of them had weird things obstructing the lens. I remember seeing one with green stuff around the photo. I think they're leaves, which would mean Leon –that lovesick brat, really- was probably hiding in the bushes or something to get that shot of you! And you were just sitting in a park bench, talking to me and holding a cone of vanilla ice cream," she finished, shrugging nonchalantly. "Oh, and I look great in that photo, by the way. Leon has a pretty good eye for taking good shots, especially when he knows where to hide-" Yuffie's voice froze and after a moment of silence, she laughed nervously.

Cloud's eyebrows flew up.

"A- And anyway, there's this other photo of you in your gym shorts, your shirt clinging onto your skin 'cause you were perspiring so much, and happily drinking from a water cooler in school.

"Then there's this three photos of you in your swimming tru-!" Yuffie winced as she bit her tongue. "Ah ha ha… I mean, photos of you in less-than-decent clothing."

Cloud narrowed his eyes. Not a lot of people were close enough to get photos of him in swimming trunks. In fact, he could count the number of people close enough to do that with one hand. When his eyes narrowed further, she quickly laughed it off, albeit a little sheepishly.

"Anyway, the point here is: Leon's stalked you before! He followed you around with a camera! Oh gods, maybe he'd even followed you with a video camera before! Hope you didn't do anything funny in public, Cloudster!" She giggled, until her mind conjured up images of her childhood friend in not-quite-decent poses and the gears in her head screeched to an abrupt halt. She so did not need /that/ mental image! That was her childhood buddy, for god's sake!

Cloud poked the girl when she froze up like a statue. Seriously, sometimes Cloud thought he would never understand the inner workings of his best friend's head. One moment, she was subtly egging him on to sneak upstairs and ransack Leon's room (oh, he at least understood her innate need to be a busybody), and the next moment, she was floating so still like her mind had broke down or something of the likes.

It was at this moment that Leon reappeared.

"Cloud? What are you doing?"

Said blond quickly retracted his hands and sat down hastily on the couch again. "Oh, nothing. Just waiting for you," he said, smiling. Despite himself, he shot one last glance at Yuffie, who was still apparently trapped in a shock-fest of horror movie marathons and some other miscellaneous emotional trauma. "So erm, you've called your father?"

Leon nodded as he walked over, a cunning grin gracing his lips all of a sudden. "Where were we, before I went upstairs?" he whispered throatily, pulling Cloud flushed against his body. "Oh right, I /think/ we were about here…" he trailed off, finishing up with a lingering kiss on his boyfriend's neck. And another. And another.

Cloud just moved his head sideways so Leon could reach that spot on his neck. He sighed contentedly when Leon started nibbling at that spot.

Neither noticed when Cloud's soft mewing finally wrestled Yuffie out of her horror-induced trance. Neither did they notice when she jotted another observation into her imaginary notebook.

_Sufferer of the ultimate uke syndrome also has the tendency to be especially naïve when it comes to anything concerning their seme. And they don't mind being stalked by their semes, even before they've hooked up. Ultimate uke syndrome, man. Really ultimate. End of observations. _

* * *

"You can be really mean when you want to, you know that?"

Cloud shot her a dirty look.

Yuffie returned it. "It was just a hickey! A hickey on your collarbone that can be hidden by a collared-shirt made you ignore your boyfriend? Leon will surely be distressed to no ends when he gets to your house, and find that, oh crap! My Cloud has already left for school by himself! Without telling me! I still can't believe you did that to Leon!"

"You forgot to add that it was a hickey neither of you told me about, and one that my mum fussed over until I was ready to kill myself out of mortification," Cloud deadpanned, continuing his trek towards his locker.

He had arrived in school earlier than usual, so the corridors which were usually packed full were just starting to fill out. Still, nobody gave him a second glance even if he was seemingly talking to himself, thanks to some commotion in the next corridor. but Cloud didn't bother paying attention and instead just focused all his energy on getting himself to where he needed to be and also handling Yuffie's repeated questions.

True, it was a little mean of him to just leave his house without telling Leon, and he could already see Leon's panic when his mother informed the brunet of his choice in the mode of transportation this morning. If Leon got his way this afternoon, he was going to stick to Cloud like an octopus crossed with a whole jug of superglue. And two rolls of duct tape.

But it was a huge 'if'.

Cloud still got miffed when he recalled the smug grin on Leon's face when his mother had fawned over the damn hickey last night when she came home from work. He had been baking that butter cake for Leon as promised, and the extra heat in the kitchen had led him to wear something airier and looser. That translated into an old ratty t-shirt with a low round collar, one that displayed that spectacular hickey Leon had given him earlier for all the world to see like a world-class painting hung up in a museum.

But noooo. Leon didn't say a thing about it. Neither did Yuffie, but that was only to be expected.

Since Cloud knew nothing about that fabulous hickey, he did nothing to cover it. So when his mother arrived home from work, the first thing she did upon seeing him was squeal. And then it was a whole string of gruesome interrogation. If Cloud were a little more starry-eyed, he would have seen his mother donning the typical detective's trench coat, hat and smoking pipe.

Fantastic.

So this morning, Cloud decided that it was only fair to make Leon fret a little. Come to school by himself, and Leon would no doubt freak out when he arrived at his house to find no Cloud waiting for him. The blond felt significantly better when he imagined his boyfriend's expression.

He ignored Yuffie's peeved mutterings about some sufferer of the ultimate uke syndrome finding pleasure in torturing their seme for the smallest things, whatever that meant, and rounded a corner. Once he did, however, he stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes widened at the figure leaning against his locker.

"Zell?"

At the sound of his name, the blond pushed himself off the rows of locker and gave a jaunty wave. "Hey morning, Cloud!" he called out, jogging over to his new friend, bouncing slightly and looking more than little excited. "I didn't expect you to be here this early! Leon usually gets to school at about 8.30, give or take five minutes, so I thought you were going to get here at about that time too since you always hitch a ride from him. But ah, great that you're here early today, because I've got something for you and I wanted to give it to you in person!"

Zell fished around his pants pocket. His eyes gleamed when he found what he was looking for, and eagerly, he pulled it out for Cloud.

"Here you go!"

Yuffie whistled, suitably impressed. Cloud felt his jaw drop. After a while though, a smile broke out on his face and he gingerly picked the card up from Zell's outstretched hand.

"An honourary membership card for Leon's fanclub?"

Zell nodded eagerly. "I made it for you yesterday! I thought, well, it would be totally weird to have Leon's boyfriend /not/ be in the fanclub," –he shrugged- "So I had it made for you ASAP. And since you're Leon's boyfriend, it only makes sense that you have an honourary membership card instead of the regular one. Don't worry; the committee members all approved your entry into the club, so it's not like I decided this on my own. Do you like it?"

Despite still being a little irked with Leon, Cloud found himself chuckling at his new friend's thoughtfulness and he mentally toyed with the idea of being in his boyfriend's fanclub. "Love it. Thanks, Zell." It was a simple looking card made of paper and then laminated, but his name was written on the flipside in a careful scrawl, and there was a pretty nice picture of Leon by the side, looking directly at Cloud. Vaguely, he wondered what Zell had done to get this picture. Bribe Selphie with candy or Tidus with a new blitzball, maybe? He suppressed a laugh at the possibility.

"No problem!" Zell beamed brightly, looking like he had just done his good deed for the day. Then his expression shifted to one of those playful ones, and he lowered his voice. "Now that you're a member of Leon's fanclub –oh, we call ourselves Leonites, by the way- it's part of your duties to find out the answer to everyone's biggest question!"

Yuffie rolled her eyes, but the tugging at her lips told of another emotion. "I bet it's that boxer or briefs question that /everyone/ is just dying to know. Hah!"

True to her expectations, Zell added, "We need to know if Leon wears boxers of briefs! And since you're his boyfriend, you're the one most likely to find out! Go ransack his wardrobe or something."

"I opt for something!" Yuffie chirped gleefully. "It's not fun to find that out simply by ransacking your boyfriend's wardrobe! If the question's intimate, then you have to find out the answer intimately!" She chortled.

It was then Cloud realized: Yuffie had been mucking about upstairs yesterday when Leon dropped that bomb on him. Too bad for her then. He wasn't going tell them and risk ruining his own reputation, even if he was tempted to tease them with that snippet of information just to see them floored and utterly surprised. It was tempting, but no; Cloud didn't want the world to know /he/ knew the inner workings of Leon's wardrobe habits.

It was embarrassing.

It was damaging to his reputation.

It was… It was probably going to encourage his wayward boyfriend to get even bolder.

Therefore, he wasn't going to tell them the answer. No way. Not when his reputation and future were both at stake here.

And that's why he almost fell over in shock and horror when the following sentence fell out of his lips in a rather casual – almost proud, even - manner.

"But I already know."

"What!?" Zell and Yuffie chorused in perfect unison. Their surprised expressions with eyes that were akin to a goldfish's nearly tickled Cloud's insides, but he was too stricken by horror to laugh.

Bad mouth! Bad, baaaad mouth! Could he keep no secrets anymore? Especially those that required him to dig a hole and hide from the embarrassing aftermath? Like right now. The whole school, no, scratch that. The whole /world/ was going to find out that Cloud knew Leon's choice in undergarments!

What were his classmates, his teachers, and the headmaster going to say? What was his mother going to think!?

…Why was it that Leon could still make him this flustered when he wasn't even around?

"So is it boxers? Or is it briefs? We, we have a betting pool on this within our fanclub! We need to know!" Zell cajoled, shaking Cloud out of his self-induced stupor. "And how did you find out about it? Ransacked his wardrobe like I suggested?"

"Ah, found out about it when I was with him on his living room couch."

It was instincts. Really, it was. Because there was no other reason why Cloud would actually /answer/ that! And now that metal locker was looking really tempting. No, actually, it was beckoning him to crash his head against it.

Zell's jaw dropped.

On the other hand, Yuffie just cursed herself for negligence; she should have known Leon would pull something like this when he was alone with Cloud in the living room! She pouted in disappointment.

As she continued to beat herself up, Cloud was unsure of how to approach Zell. The blond seemed to have been emotionally traumatized, staggering along the corridor like a soulless zombie while chanting something to himself. Or to be more accurate, a soulless /and/ mindless zombie, judging from how Zell was walking into everything, from the wall to the pillars… Oh-oh-ooh! Ouch! That must have /hurt/!

The poor rubbish bin.

…Maybe he didn't have to worry about the news of his newfound knowledge leaking out after all. Zell didn't seem like he was in the state to start anything on the grapevine. Still, Cloud thought that a plea to keep silent on the matter would be safer. Ignoring Yuffie's cries for him to wait for her (that, and tell her if Leon wore boxers or briefs), the blond quickly sprinted down the corridor, hoping to catch up with Zell.

However, in his haste and anxiety, he missed the person coming his way and crashed right into the newcomer. Instincts reared up again, and he quickly raised his head to apologize, only to nearly swallow his words at the sight of an icy blond glaring down at him.

"Se-Seifer! I… I'm so sorry! I, I was… I was…" Whatever explanation he had a minute ago abandoned him like an alarmed bird at the sight of a cat on the hunt, and Cloud found himself taking an involuntary step back at those cold, diamond-hard eyes. Yet, strangely enough, that anger and even traces of hatred… they didn't seem to be directed at him. And somehow, he knew that whatever Seifer was feeling, it wasn't because of their collision earlier. What had ignited the rage, though, Cloud had no idea.

Seifer took a step forward. Cloud couldn't help but take another step back.

From afar, Yuffie gasped and zipped up to her friend speedily, badgering for Seifer to leave Cloud alone. She really didn't like the look in his eyes, that predatory, angered gleam. When she realized the futility of her actions –you'd think that being a spirit would give her certain advantages!-, she turned back to Cloud.

"Cloud, you'd better get out of here right now. Make up some excuses if you have to! Anything! Just get out! Seifer's being weird!" she yelled. She groaned when the little blond remained where he was, standing as still a statue that was, in her opinion, waiting for pigeons. "C'mon, Cloud! Chop chop! Move!"

Still no response, and Seifer was still staring down at him.

Growling under her breath, Yuffie yelled a quick 'coming through!' and took control. Cloud barely had time to protest before he was shoved to the back of his own mind, his body under Yuffie's control.

She met Seifer's glare. "Why are you glaring at me?" Her tone was a mix of worry and irritation.

If Seifer was surprised at the sudden change in Cloud's demeanor, he did not show it except a blink. Slowly, he replied, "I overheard your conversation with the chicken wuss."

"…So?" She resisted the urge to accuse Seifer of eavesdropping for the sake of her own health and Cloud's.

"What did you do with Leonhart in his house?" Each word was forced and heavily punctuated, like he had ground them through his teeth out of morbid curiosity and anger. The hardness of Seifer's cool, blue eyes intensified and his lips were set in a grim line, just when his fists started to clench even tighter than they already were.

Why… why was Seifer acting like, like… he was… jealous? The combination of that emotion and Seifer made Yuffie's heart skip a beat, not out of elation but out of sheer horror.

No. Way. No. Frigging. Way.

It was ridiculous. It was absurd. It was mind-breakingly /crazy/.

Seifer couldn't like Cloud /that/ way. Uh uh, no way in hell was that happening. In fact, Yuffie couldn't see Seifer liking /anyone/ that way. Period.

He was the guy who hated almost /everyone/. He was the guy who made a hobby out of antagonizing people he didn't like, which was pretty much everybody. He was also the guy who sneered more than he talked.

Impossible. It was just /impossible/. Seifer couldn't like Cloud. He /just/ couldn't.

Besides, he was straight! He had dated this Rinoa girl before, didn't he? And there were no hints of him ever expressing an interest in anyone after that, let alone another man. Then again, Seifer's situation was scarily reminiscent of Leon's, who had dated that Rinoa girl too before turning to prey on the other sex and also not expressing an interest in anyone /before/ Cloud.

Still!

It was just too difficult to wrap her mind over the possibility of Seifer actually liking Cloud in a more than friendly way.

…However, when Yuffie really thought about it - as much as she didn't want to – if Seifer really did feel something for Cloud, then quite a few things would suddenly seem so easy to comprehend.

As far as Yuffie knew, the blond was as Leon had described: he was not the type to help anyone out, similar interests or not. It wasn't exactly because Seifer was selfish, but rather because he hated doing extra work. Therefore, there was no reason why he had helped Cloud out that day in the book store, the first time they had met. He just wasn't the type.

However, if Seifer haboured some sort of romantic feelings for the younger blond, then things would seem a lot more plausible. The reason for Seifer's repeated invitation to his locker for a mere book would also be explained, as well as why Seifer always seemed a lot friendlier to Cloud than he treated anybody else.

But… if he really did like Cloud – and that was still just a speculation, and a very crazy one at that- why would he take action only now? After all, Seifer had a head start on Leon for /months/. That was enough time to romance Cloud to the moon and back, twice over.

Yuffie was not given more time to think. She gasped when she felt her wrist –Cloud's wrist, to be exact- grabbed almost harshly and the force pulled her forward until she nearly fell over.

"What did you do with Leonhart?" Seifer demanded in a strangled voice.

"Why- Why do you want to know?" she asked sharply, but her attempts to remain calm and cool were ruined by the slight falter in her voice. When Seifer did not answer and instead chose to stare even more intensively at her, almost like he was trying to see /through/ her, she winced at the added force on her hand. With no small amount of trepidation, she wrenched her hand back. Pain radiated from where Seifer had grasped her.

Within their shared minds, Cloud shouted her name in alarm, asking her to return his body and let him talk with Seifer. Surely, he thought, he could… get through to Seifer. He was still a friend, he thought.

If Yuffie could spare the time, she would have rolled her eyes at her best friend, who still did not seem to have picked up Seifer's rationale for the sudden aggression. Not that she could exactly blame him though; never in her wildest imagination would she have even considered Seifer /liking/ him, of all people. The chances of that happening, she had once believed, were lower than that of being stricken down by a falling meteorite whilst walking down the street in a city.

There was a long silence, and Yuffie thought she wasn't going to get an answer. After all, the blond wasn't the type to bare his heart. No, Seifer seemed like the type who would keep his truest feelings to himself because he hated losing control. Even know that, however, Yuffie still felt a twinge of irritation at the lack of answer. On one hand, it would be the biggest news ever if Seifer did admit his feelings for Cloud. It would become Radiant High's biggest scandal ever since news of Mr. Highwind's marriage spread rife and wide amongst the school population. But on the other hand, if Seifer /did/ admit his feelings for Cloud, Yuffie was going to have a hard time extracting her best friend from the sticky situation. Nobody said 'no' to Seifer like that. At least, she didn't think so.

And then, Seifer suddenly spoke.

"Leonhart is not the one for you. You're too good for him."

Things seemed to crash downhill after that statement.

"How- how you would know?"

Seifer looked at her – no, at /Cloud/ - for a long while, so long and so hard that she thought he had seen through her and really saw Cloud within. The silence was stifling.

"…I just do."

Yuffie had no idea what to say to that. Even Cloud, who had been amazingly persistent in getting his body back and handling Seifer himself, went quiet. For a long moment, the three just stayed rooted to their spot, silent and unsure of how to go on. It was almost as though the smallest movement or sound would break something, and even the sounds of their breathing were kept soft.

And then, a student, apparently rushing for something despite the fact that classes did not start until another fifteen minutes, quite literally crashed onto the scene. The rubbery soles of his sneakers squeaked against the ground, his heavy panting shattered the silence like a wayward baseball, and his crash into Seifer destroyed any last semblance of a somber atmosphere.

When he realized he had ran into Seifer, of all people, he squeaked and quickly apologized before forgoing his locker and scampering off like the denizens of hell were hot on his heels.

Seifer did nothing but glare at the retreating back, but that moment was enough, and Yuffie quickly seized the opportunity.

"It's late already. We should be getting to class." She made to leave, sidestepping Seifer in big, quiet strides. Even so, her footsteps seemed to reverberate off the walls in the empty corridor as though they were the booming marches of army troops. Her calm façade was belied only by her cold palms.

Seifer did not move, and for a fleeting moment, she fooled herself into believing that this was the end. Her false sense of security was shattered when his voice, deep and tired, pierced through the silence.

"Why won't you believe me?"

Despite herself, she paused in her steps. With nary a backward glance, she asked, "Believe you what?" Her voice was airy, tired, bitter.

"That you are too good for Leonhart."

"I… I'll make that judgment myself. I appreciate your…" –she bit herself when 'concern' nearly rolled off her tongue - "advice. But I'll be fine."

"I'm worried for you."

Yuffie's heart stilled for a moment. "For… for what? Leon treats me well. You really don't have to get worried for me over this."

"But I do."

She couldn't help but ask, "But why?" She was surprised when she got an answer.

"…I don't know."

Silence reigned for a moment. Yuffie bit her bottom lip as a deluge of memories from years past invaded her mind. She remembered being in the same situation.

_"Why are you always so concerned over my matters?" _

_"I… I just do, even if… even if I don't know why." _

A bitter smile spread across her lips.

"Then… find the answer. And when you do, tell me. Tell Cloud."

With that, she walked away. But no matter how fast she tried to walk, her memories soon caught up with her like an avalanche and she was the skier who had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. She couldn't forget.

_"Do you like me?" _

* * *

It seemed that lately, Yuffie was keeping a lot of things to herself.

Like yesterday, she would rather bite her tongue than tell him where Leon had gotten some of his photos (even though Cloud could already guess because it was just so frigging obvious). And now she was refusing to talk about their confrontation with Seifer earlier. Or rather, she was skirting about the issue, telling him only the inane things and ignoring the bigger picture.

Cloud hated not knowing what Yuffie was thinking. Usually, nothing good came out of it, and not knowing her plans meant not being able to prevent any of her antics or pranks. But more importantly, Cloud was unused to not knowing.

Having grown up together, Cloud prided himself on knowing most of what there was to know about Yuffie. Yet, in the light of recent events since her death, he felt like there was a part of her that he would never understand. It was that part that had made her possess him and confess to Leon, help him nurture his feelings for the brunet, and even stand up against Seifer.

While she had always worried over him and encouraged him to make more friends, Yuffie had never so adamantly /forced/ him to date anyone. Perhaps it was because she now had the means to actually force him, but there was always an underlying feeling that Yuffie had only done what she did because she knew something. And working things to her advantage had always been one of Yuffie's strongest suits.

She had probably known long before he did that Leon liked him. Probably even did some sort of weird personality assessment of the brunet before entrusting Cloud to him.

And now, she had most likely realized something before he did again.

But what could that encounter with Seifer have meant?

He couldn't be sure, except that some of the things Seifer had said had reminded Cloud of a child throwing a spiteful tantrum, so he just chalked it up to Seifer's rivalry with Leon. The other thing, however, freaked him out. Cloud could still see that little trace of affection buried just under the surface in Seifer's eyes. They reminded him of the same look in Zack's eyes, during the beginning stages of their friendship. It was still there even after Cloud had rejected him, just buried deeper and deeper until it faded away one day.

It was impossible, right? Seifer couldn't see him as anything more than just a friend.

In fact, they weren't even /close/ friends.

Another thing that bothered Cloud was how Yuffie had seemingly /encouraged/ Seifer to… think through his feelings. With Seifer already giving off those 'I-like-you-more-than-a-friend' vibes, Cloud wasn't sure if he could deal with the situation if the other blond really had a crush on him.

One Leon was more than enough.

Cloud shot a suspicious glance at Yuffie again, slightly annoyed that she would not divulge what she seemed to know. Contrary to what she might believe, Cloud was perfectly capable of picking on other's feelings on his own.

She just stuck out her tongue in response and continued floating down the corridor to his class. Suddenly, something shiny –a girl's pretty dangling earrings- caught her eye and with a squeal, she whizzed over. Cloud sighed as he made his way down the /correct/ corridor. That girl was an absolute magpie. Sometimes, Cloud thought that Yuffie could not stay serious for more than five minutes at a go.

Just as he was still pondering over his new problems, he completely missed the barrage of flailing limbs and anxious faces until they barreled into him. And suddenly, he found himself surrounded by a bunch of overly relieved –and overzealous- people who looked like they had just struck lottery or found the cure to some previously incurable disease.

When Cloud finally got a good look at those people, he realized that, yes, they had just found the cure to a strange disease called 'Cloud withdrawal symptoms' for one currently absent Squall Leonhart.

"Cloud! Oh, I'm so glad we found you!" Selphie wailed, pulling on his arm like a baby asking her parent for her milk bottle. " Leon called our cells earlier and he was like, 'Cloud's missing! His mother says he's already gone to school, so you guys, find him!' Oh, I swear he was about to have a panic attack!"

By her side, Tidus nodded. "I had to remind him three times to drive slow and steady so he could get here in one piece and with no speeding tickets."

"But I bet he never heard that because he hung up on you, right?" Selphie asked curiously, peering at her boyfriend. He sulked.

"Cloud, are you alright?" Aeris asked gently, her voice like a soothing balm. "It's not like you to leave Leon alone like that. Did you two have an argument?"

He bit his bottom lip and shrugged. "Sort of. But we'll be fine. I just didn't… feel like hitching a ride from him this morning. I didn't think he'd be this worried."

"Oh, what are you saying?" Selphie chimed, starting to pull him along as they ambled along for their respective classes. "Of course Leon would be worried! You're very, very important to him! And he loves you very, very, very much!"

There was something strange about the situation, to hear about this from Selphie's mouth instead of Leon's. But no matter, he didn't doubt the truth of her statement, nor could he deny the like sweetness welling up from the bottom of his heart. He smiled.

"Is he in class yet?"

"Oh, I'm guessing he's already pulling into the car park, having beaten a few red lights or so," Tidus drawled, a smile playing on his lips as well. "Only one way to find out! C'mon guys! We'd better hurry to class or we'll all be late!"

"And my class is on the other side of school! Mr. Wallace is going to yell obscenities at me until my head bursts! See you guys at lunch!" Selphie yelped in alarm before dashing off, barely avoiding a head-on collision with a few other stragglers in the corridors.

Tidus, Aeris and Cloud looked at each other mutely. A second later, they were all tearing down the passageway for their class with Mr. Highwind.

Yuffie whistled a merry tune as she drifted into Cloud's class twenty minutes later. Her eyes lit up when she noticed Cloud sulking prettily beside his boyfriend, grudgingly sharing his textbook, seeing how they had not able to get to Cloud's locker earlier because of Zell and then Seifer. Leon was anxiously trying to press closer to the blond and probably also trying to get Cloud to forgive him, only to get his hands slapped away every time he got too close.

She smiled.

_Despite all of the above mostly submissive characteristics, sufferers of the ultimate uke syndrome will still get mad with their semes if they get rubbed the wrong way. For this specific uke, a little vanilla ice cream should help him cool down. In fact, it is entirely possible that said uke is only pretending to still be angry for his favourite treat and also to yank his seme's chain. _

_Doctor Yuffie, out! _

-tbc-

(1): The ultimate uke syndrome is actually the title of a Naruto fic, written by rosesareblue. Just erm, borrowing the name here for a bit, since the symptoms of the syndrome in that fic and mine are quite different.

**A/N:** Wah, I'm really sorry for the long wait for this chapter! Apart from being busy with my job and my other fics (which I must tell one of my reviewers that they are /not/ in any way less significant compared to _Vanilla _because I wrote them for my friends), I'd actually lost interest. Not just in this fic, but in writing fics as a whole. The fact that my muses went on strike somewhere in this chapter just made things seem worse, so there were a few months where I didn't want to work on _Vanilla_ at all.

Hopefully I'm really over that phase now, and I will start writing the next chapter soon. I've finished plotting it, but let's just hope that my muses won't leave me again so I can actually write it out. XDD Thanx for everyone's support so far, and please remember to review if you enjoyed this chapter! Everyone just seems to put the fic on alert or favourite it, but do stop for a second and tell me why you like _Vanilla_! Thanx!

While I don't always reply to your reviews, I appreciate every single one of them! Sometimes I just swing by my reviews and take a look, just so I can motivate myself to continue writing! But ah... if you ask a question which requires me to reply, please either leave me with your email address or better yet, sign in. Also, know that typing your email in the review box doesn't make it show up. You have to type it in the email box instead.

Also, just for the curious, there's actually a rumour that claims Gackt as the real life inspiration for Squall/Leon. Even though Nomura has disputed that (he claims River Phoenix to be the inspiration), I still think Leon looks a lot like Gackt in same ways, hence I named Gackt as his favourite singer here. And of course, the song _Vanilla_ is this fic's theme song, so… XD

**Teaser for next chapter**: In which Leon has to drape himself over Cloud to apologize, Riku's head very nearly befriends Roxas' metal tray again, Axel laments on his failure to seduce his favourite blond, Naminé draws a startling sketch of someone she shouldn't see, Yuffie and Cloud realize something that will change their friendship, and Seifer makes his move.

**Edit (3 July 2007):** Maybe this is a little early, but when this fic hits 600 reviews, I will write something to commermorate. I haven't decided on the fic yet, though it will be a Leon/Cloud oneshot, so I was thinking maybe I'll leave that up to the 600th reviewer. Well, my dear 600th reviewer, whoever you are, hope to see you soon!

**Edit (24 July 2007): **I've noticed that the review count _has _reached 600, but to the dear anon reviewer who reviewed chapter 8 eleven times, I'm sorry. I will count that as only 1 review. As much as I appreciate your efforts and time, I really don't think it's fair to the other reviewers. Thanx for your support though!


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Vanilla part 9

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: LxC

Warnings: AU, romance, sap, fluff, humour, OOC-ness

Word count: 10745

Rating: R

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to lay claim to Cloud, I'm kinda scared of Leon's gunblade. So well, I don't own Kingdom Hearts and its character, and neither do I own the various Final Fantasies and their characters.

Note: This fic is inspired by the Japanese manga _Eerie Queerie. _And this fic's theme song is Gackt's _Vanilla_. /sniggers/

Summary: Cloud's only friend, Yuffie, had just died a few weeks ago. However, Yuffie can't move on to the next world and so she follows Cloud around in his daily life. And she just can't resist the opportunity to play the finest prank on Cloud by possessing his body and confessing to someone… LxC

* * *

Vanilla ice cream. The king of all food. The heaven of all desserts.

It was water to a man stranded in the desert for days. It was air to someone who had nearly drowned. It was freedom to those trapped and caged up for years.

Therefore, it was pure insanity to share the king and heaven with someone else, especially despicable boyfriends who had intentionally left a love bite on his neck just because he was in the throes of passion and ecstasy and so couldn't help himself.

Hmph. Excuses, and such a lame one at that. Couldn't his boyfriend at least be a little more creative if he wanted to leave a mark on him?

Cloud pouted as he shoved more vanilla ice cream into his mouth, shielding his bowl and keeping a firm grip on his spoon lest said despicable boyfriend tried to snag it away again. He shifted his body when the other reached for his hand, quite literally giving the other the cold shoulders. Despite knowing how ridiculous he probably looked like to the others, all of whom were shaking their heads and snickering across the table, Cloud honestly couldn't care any less.

Just yesterday, he had been kidnapped to Leon's house for the entire afternoon, and after a bit of talking, proceeded to get pinned onto the couch and kissed all over. And because he did not protest, Leon had taken his silence to be the green lights for extra fondling and groping and kissing, which Cloud didn't mind much. Really. Even when Leon had divested him of his vest and unbuttoned at least half of the buttons on his shirt, he still accepted it and even let Leon suck and nibble on his neck.

Unfortunately, the brunet took his acceptance as a huge flashcard that read, "Kiss me! Bite me! Eat me!" and promptly left a huge love bite on him, lavishing all his attention and efforts at the branding. It made Cloud feel like a cattle, and he was already half-expecting Leon to turn up with a collar, a tag, and bells to complete the ensemble. What was with Leon's constant need to parade him as his boyfriend when it was already so damn obvious!?

Worst of all, Leon –and for that matter, Yuffie too- never told him about the spectacular hickey on the juncture of his neck and shoulder that stood out on his pale skin like a crane standing amongst a herd of chickens. No, neither of them had the courtesy of informing Cloud of that impressive, magnificent and stunning mark on his body, and so the blond went around his house flashing the damn thing around in a t-shirt after the couple went over to his house for the butter cake.

He only found out about it when his mother squealed and interrogated him on his new girlfriend.

Thank god she still didn't find out about Leon because when said brunet wanted to step out and own up to being the kind and generous giver of that hickey, Cloud had given him the evil eye and forced him to back down. Leon, being the kind, sensitive and most importantly, flexible boyfriend that he was, quickly stepped back and just ate his butter cake obediently.

Cloud still fumed when he thought about it, really. He shoved another spoon of vanilla ice cream into his mouth to hopefully cool his temper down.

"Cloud?"

He snorted and turned further away. The action earned him another round of giggles from their friends, an amused sigh from Yuffie and a pleading hand on his shoulder. He shook it off and concentrated on eating his favourite dessert.

"Cloud…"

Seriously, why was Cloud still sitting beside his wayward boyfriend? Then his mind informed him: it was a habit. Lately, Cloud's body had the habit of sliding into the seat beside Leon's whenever they were together, so even though he was still mad at Leon, he hadn't protested when Leon took the seat beside his own after arriving at the ice cream parlor some time ago.

And it was too late to change his seat by now. Not that any of their friends would have the guts to switch with him anyway. Despite acting like an apologetic puppy with Cloud, Leon was still a formidable lion to those who attempted to help Cloud get away from him. Still, it was that same possessiveness that was making Cloud mad at him, wasn't it? That dumb hickey… if only his mother hadn't noticed it! Now she was going to ask, coax, cajole, wheedle, prod, and trick it out of him every chance she got, which was almost every day. Cloud got a headache just thinking about it.

Vaguely, he wondered if that was the reason why he was so mad at Leon. Maybe if his mother hadn't noticed the hickey and squealed, then he wouldn't have minded? Was he really /that/ opposed to Leon leaving love bites on him?

He frowned, his spoon stilling.

Before he could really think about it, however, he felt someone drape himself all over his body, hugging him close and nuzzling his neck. It was a warmth and loving embrace so familiar that Cloud did not even need to turn to know who it was.

"Squall Leonhart, either you let go, right now, or I'm going to…"

"Gut him?" Tidus supplied helpfully, only to receive a punch in the head, courtesy of his girlfriend. He yelped when someone kicked his shin under the table, and he glared at Aeris who just blinked innocently at him.

Cloud was too busy to notice the drama across the table when he already had his hands full with his own. "Right. You let go of me right now, Leon, or I'm going to gut you."

Yuffie just giggled at the threat. "Aw, of course you're not serious about that, Cloudster! You love Leon too much to gut him!"

An annoying warm blush invaded his face again, and even Cloud's valiant attempts at quelling the rebellion didn't have much of an effect. It was like his entire body was working against him. Probably a side effect of having his body, heart, and brain all happily rolling in the gutter right now. He sighed softly, but he was careful not to show Leon any signs of himself giving in. The hands wrapped around his stomach was a little difficult to resist though, just like how Cloud did not object to his boyfriend's chin resting on his shoulder because he truly enjoyed having Leon's voice tickle his ears.

"Cloud, you've been ignoring me for the whole day already. Stop this now," Leon mumbled softly, arms tightening around Cloud's middle. When there was no response, he added, voice even lower than before, "Please."

With a sigh, Cloud shoved his bowl of ice cream further into the table center and slowly extracted himself out of his boyfriend's arms so he could turn around. Leon's anxious grey eyes were gazing a hole into him, pleading wordlessly to stop the angry charade. Cloud ignored Yuffie's smugness that was almost overbearing, and he crossed his arms.

"What did you promise me? That morning after I threw you out of my room?"

Leon barely winced at the reminder, even though he could see the barely veiled looks of surprises and amusement their friends were all wearing out of the corner of his eyes. He answered truthfully, "That I wouldn't push you again."

"And what did you do yesterday?" Cloud demanded, but his eyes gleamed with a warning that Leon would really get it if he actually answered out loud. No matter how much the blond wanted Leon to apologize, he definitely wasn't ready to let the whole world know about the love bite on his neck right now. Cloud had a deadly allergy to being teased about that mark, a fact he recently discovered only after his mother's endless squealing and prodding.

Luckily, Leon got his unspoken message, and he only laughed sheepishly while scratching his head.

"Don't do it again, alright?"

Cloud had half a mind to rewind and go through what he just said again when he noticed the bundle of friskiness staring back at him, eyes twinkling with mischief and lips curled in an unruly grin. His breath still hitched when Leon leaned in, as many times as that had happened already, and his throat suddenly felt so parched at the light, almost non-existent lick at the shell of his ear.

"Don't mark you again, or don't forget to tell you after I've marked you?"

That husky voice was soft, so soft Cloud wasn't even sure he had heard correctly. It caressed his insides in whispery, wispy trails, like a swirl of disappearing smoke. And then the message registered in his mind, and he blushed, a faint pink stardust dusting his cheeks. Looking down at their entwined fingers, he stuttered, "Bo-both."

He wasn't surprised when he heard the guffaw from his right.

"Cloudster, you know full well that's not possible! How can Squally remember to tell you about a love bite if you don't allow him to give you one in the first place? You are such a bubble of contradictions, you know?" Yuffie giggled. With a mock gasp, she lowered her voice slyly, "Or are you actually fine with Leon giving you love bites? That does seem to be it, huh?" She laughed again, clapping her hands at the sight of Cloud's blush deepening beautifully.

Apparently, Leon came to the same conclusion. He smiled indulgently, placed one revering hand on Cloud's warm cheek, and leaned forward for an innocent peck. It merely led to a series of short, sweet kisses of which his boyfriend participated shyly but actively. Leon grinned inwardly; usually it took a bit more time for Cloud to warm up to making out, but recently, it seemed that he had finally taught Cloud to let go more. His arms pulled Cloud closer, slowing burning a trail down the other's back, unhindered by the uncomfortable school uniform.

Those hands would have traveled further south had a voice –a very dry one, in fact- not interrupted.

"If you two need a room, I recommend the motel two streets down. They have cheap rooms and a condom machine in the lobby."

Cloud sprung away from his boyfriend like a startled antelope, almost appalled that they had just made out again in public. And what was that about needing a motel room and condoms!? Had he been clawing at Leon's shirt again? His face heated up like a neon tomato as he mentally berated his disobedient hands. And his mind that was throwing a party inside the warm and comfortable gutter. And his heart and body that were toasting the mind for a nifty party.

While Cloud was occupied with beating himself up inside the head, Leon was busy glaring at the interrupter who had single-handedly ruined his chances of leaving another love bite on his boyfriend. Never mind the fact that they were in a public place. Or the fact that another busybody would just hoot or catcall and jerk Cloud out of his stupor anyway.

"Roxas…" he growled.

The blond returned his glare with a bored look. His arms were crossed over his chest, his beloved weapon dangling between his fingers unthreateningly. "It was either that or pull you two apart forcefully, and I still want my arms intact, thank you very much. We can't have you two making out right here and scare off our customers."

Selphie twirled her sundae spoon thoughtfully. "But Leon and Cloud are so hot when they make out! They could attract new customers!"

Tidus laughed. "Yeah, fangirls. Loads of them. And then they'll squeal and shatter all the windows here, and-!" He was made to shut up when his girlfriend stuffed a spoonful of mango ice cream –his least favourite flavour- into his mouth, and he quickly got the message. It was safer for his health to just eat and leave the talking to his girl, even if it made him the latest joke between Riku and Aeris, who were chuckling softly between themselves.

"We're an ice cream parlor, not a sex exhibition," Roxas replied wryly. He smirked, however, when he caught sight of the flustered expression on Cloud. "Not that you were going to let Leon, of course. I can tell you're more intelligent than that."

Cloud and Yuffie both hid their sniggers and silent agreements, one more so than the other. Leon, on the other hand, gaped indignantly. He was about to retort and defend his honour when Riku cleverly cut in, wary of someone blowing up and breaking something in the process.

"So… I haven't seen Sora since arriving fifteen minutes ago. Where is he?" Riku asked offhandedly, and he thought he heard someone –Tidus, maybe- groaning and slapping his forehead. Of all the things to ask Roxas, that boy was probably thinking. But honestly, there was nobody else to ask. Axel and Demyx were both not around, and Riku didn't like the idea of talking to the other employees. Vexen, Marluxia and Larxene made his hair stand on their ends most of the time. And Zexion was a huge bubble of depression and angst when Demyx wasn't within one hundred meters of his internal Demyx-radar.

True to Tidus' expectation and worries, Roxas arched an annoyed eyebrow, his tray no longer dangling loosely from his fingers but poised for a swift strike. Luckily, he remained civil –barely, but still civil- when he replied, "Sora's not coming in for work today. He's got other commitments."

"What other commitments?"

"I don't want to tell you." The tray was starting to look extremely menacing, almost like a monster by itself that was raving to go and kick some butts. "If my little brother gets a boyfriend, I'll personally make sure that he's someone like Cloud and nothing like you."

Cloud blinked. He pointed to himself, question marks bouncing like rabid bunnies above his head. He hardly registered the possessive embrace Leon had pulled him into, though his heart, mind and body all sighed contentedly at the tender touch.

"If you can tame Leon into the puppy he's being today, then I'm sure you'll make a wonderful other half to anybody."

Leon's eyes narrowed, and in an instant, his chair was so close to Cloud's that they were almost glued together. "He's mine." His ears probably didn't even hear the first half of Roxas' comment.

"I wouldn't dream of taking him away. I'm not interested anyway. And I'm just making a comparison here. Between Riku and Cloud, who would you choose as your other half?" Roxas asked nonchalantly, his stance relatively relaxed. Even his tray seemed to have settled down from the raving monster earlier to become a sweet little obedient puppy that had rolled over and waiting for its master to rub its belly.

Nobody missed a beat.

"Cloud, of course."

"Cloud 'cause he's sweeter!"

"That's easy. Cloud beats Riku hands down any day!"

The silver-haired teenager rolled his eyes at his friends. Traitors, all of them. Aeris, Selphie, Tidus… all traitors. Just because Cloud was cuter and sweeter, they all picked him despite having known Riku for so much longer. Riku felt like an abandoned puppy, howling and whining in the rain for his beloved Sora to cheer him up. With his luck though, Riku wouldn't be surprised if Roxas turned up instead and called the pound to come pick up the noisy annoyance. Not fair…

He might have felt better about himself if he had heard Yuffie's thoughtful mumble that she'd probably choose him over Cloud because dating Cloud was like dating her brother.

…Yeah, he'd feel better.

Cloud grinned sheepishly as he scratched his nose, almost embarrassed and apologetic for winning the straw poll. But there was no denying the tiny bit of happiness bubbling inside him. It felt good to be picked over someone else after being mostly alone for so many years. He was further pleased when Leon pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead and whispered his answer, meant only for his ears.

"I would pick you over anybody."

The trace of sweetness welled up inside him again, and despite himself, Cloud managed a little smile for his boyfriend.

* * *

Much later, Roxas had finally gotten his kick out of gloating at Riku and left their table, leaving the silver-haired boy grumbling under his breath and shoving his sundae into his mouth while wondering where the hell Sora was. Tidus, Selphie and Aeris had gotten into an engaging conversation about the many ways Cloud would make a better boyfriend over Riku, which sort of gave Riku second thoughts whenever he looked at his sundae spoon: could he get away with the much-used 'it slipped out of my hand' excuse if his spoon somehow found its way into their friend's bodies?

Or at least, that was what Cloud thought Riku was thinking, the way the silver-haired boy's eyes kept darting between his friends and his spoon. And despite the possible casualties, Cloud found himself unable to blame Riku (if he were indeed, thinking of stabbing someone with his spoon). After all, there was Riku, without Sora, getting teased endlessly and with a road block more intimidating than the Himalayas that came in the form of Roxas. On the other hand, there was Cloud with Leon, sharing their vanilla ice cream with just one spoon, and with a cupid more helpful than a hundred girl guides put together in the form of Yuffie. Really, Cloud couldn't blame Riku.

And so when Leon playfully tapped his fingers, asking for another spoonful of ice cream, Cloud had been half-tempted to refuse.

Unfortunately, his attempt at being kind towards Riku was utterly undermined by the sudden appearance of someone, whom, without invitation, plopped himself carelessly over a spare chair at their table.

"I see you two are still as lovey-dovey as ever," the newcomer drawled, raising a bony finger at Cloud and Leon, to which Cloud found his face burning up. With a sideway glance at Riku, he added dryly, "And in contrast, by the look of your shit-face, you've still not gotten Roxas' permission to date Sora."

That effectively riled Riku up.

"What's that got to do with you, Axel?"

Axel rolled his eyes. Jabbing Riku's shoulder, he replied, "Everything. Roxas doesn't pay enough attention to me because he's too worried over Sora, and why, pray tell, is he worried over Sora?"

"Because of Riku!" Selphie supplied eagerly, her hand high up in the air like she was asking for a teacher's permission to answer a question that had been posed in class. Aeris and Tidus nodded sagely. Cloud winced, as did Leon, who gathered him closer as though trying to protect him. Yuffie just sniggered.

Axel snapped his fingers. "Bingo!"

"Don't blame me for your own incompetence. If you managed to score with Roxas, he wouldn't even remember he has a younger brother to worry about," Riku barked heatedly, his spoon nearly strangled in his rapidly tightening grip. Then, as though a stray thought had hit him, his lips curled into a nasty smirk. "Then again, I really shouldn't be surprised. I mean, why would Roxas fall for a scrawny jerk like you? Especially when there's someone like say… Demyx around? So much better and more cheerful than you, even on your good days. Or someone like Cloud, whom Roxas just said was the ideal choice for a boyfriend. Someone who is your exact opposite, fortunately."

Cloud could almost see the insults piercing through Axel's body like arrows, and absently, he felt his hands itching to pull out the stray arrow that Riku had shot at him too. It seemed that Riku was the type to bear grudges, especially if it concerned Sora and Roxas' opinion of him. He peered at Leon, willing for his boyfriend to do something to ease the suffocating tension.

Thankfully, Leon got the hint. He cleared his throat.

"Don't you have work to do, Axel, instead of hanging around us? Xenmas doesn't strike me as the type who'd tolerate his workers slacking on the job."

The red-haired smirked. "He's not, but the big ol' boss isn't around today. And before you ask, nope, our dear manager Xigbar is not around either, and the supervisor for today…" he trailed off, peering around for a moment before his eyes lit up and he added, "is Xaldin, who doesn't really care. Especially since it's my day off."

"Even if it's his day off, I kind of get the feeling that this Ice Cream Parlor That Never Was –what the hell was the guy thinking when he came up with such a name anyway?- is not the place for people who need work to keep themselves busy…" Yuffie interjected, lingering around Cloud. "Why didn't I ever apply for a summer job here?"

Cloud resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was about to suggest that maybe Roxas would like a helping hand when Riku beat him to him, with pretty much the same idea, only a whole lot meaner.

"Oh, so /that's/ why poor ol' Axel is here, hanging around our table like a lost puppy, waiting for Roxas," the silver-haired teen sneered, his lips curled up in a specious smirk. He shook his head as though in pity, but the façade was easily seen through. Even so, he did not lose his smirk one bit even when he delivered a well-aimed stomp on Tidus' foot for the blond's offhand comment that Riku was /also/ hanging around the ice cream parlor like a lost puppy. Neither did his smirk waver for one second when Selphie glared at him for hurting her 'Tidy-Widy'.

"But you know – which I'm sure you don't, actually – Roxas' probably going to go out with someone else later. The person who had introduced him to the condom machine in the motel two streets down, perhaps?" Riku added, never missing a beat.

Cloud suddenly felt pretty guilty at the sight of Axel's emerald eyes widening. However, to his surprise, that was the extent of Axel's surprise. Or maybe not, upon further observations. The lopsided grin on Axel's face was stiff, and so was the teen's posture. And was his brow twitching?

Yuffie did not help ease Cloud's imagination of the things to follow when she whispered dazedly, "Woah. That was like… the hadoken (1) of words!"

And the blond couldn't find it in himself to disagree. In fact, he thought those words weren't /just/ akin to a normal hadoken; it was the special hadoken attack that expended all three bars of the character's special attack charge bar. Vaguely, he wondered if the place was going to get torn down in the fight of the century. He resisted the urge to swipe at his best friend when she pointed out the lamentable lack of popcorn.

Axel's stiff grin was still present on his face. "And how do you know I'm not the one who brought him to the motel?" he said slickly, and if his voice had not cracked, perhaps it would have convinced someone.

Nobody answered, but the way they were all looking away with a hand over their mouths was answer enough.

It was at this precious moment that the glass doors of the ice cream parlor slid open with a soft 'swoosh', and Cloud, eager for some distraction from the mounting tension at his table, looked over. It was a young girl, looking not a day older than fourteen or fifteen though her choice in clothes – a clean white dress- was misleading, and she stepped inside, her steps light and dainty. A smile played upon her thin lips as the sunlight bounced off her blond locks, and it was little wonder why everyone's eyes seemed to be pulled to her by invisible strings.

Her eyes lit up when she saw Axel, and she ambled over, careful not to drop the sketchbook and pencils in her arms as she did so.

"Axel, I thought this is your day off?" she asked, voice soft and gentle.

The red-head glanced over his shoulder to look at her, his face marred by what Cloud thought was a carefully executed pout.

"Naminé," he said simply.

She cocked her head in confusion at the lackluster response, and then Aeris mouthed something to her. With a shake of her head, she smiled sweetly, but there was no ignoring the twinkle of fond exasperation in her blue eyes. Putting her things down on an unoccupied part of the table, she nudged Axel's shoulder. When he gave no response apart from a sulk and a shake of his shoulders, she chuckled again, as did the other girls at the table.

Cloud leaned into Leon and tugged lightly on his boyfriend's shirt.

"Who is she?" he whispered, curiosity getting the better of him. He had never seen Axel, the only person who took pride in wearing cockiness like it was a designer garment, let someone push him around. Well, apart from Roxas, that is, but Roxas was another matter altogether; he was the person Axel liked, and so he obviously was in a league on his own in Axel's heart. But this girl…

"Oh, that's right, you've never met Naminé," Leon noted, scooting closer to Cloud's. "She's Xenmas' younger daughter, and Xenmas is the owner of this ice cream parlor. Apparently, she's an artist, so she comes over sometimes to get inspiration for her next art piece."

Realization dawned on Cloud. And Yuffie, who upon hearing Leon's explanation, quipped, "So that's why Axel's demure like a fur ball with her around. Rule number one of being an employee: never antagonize your boss, daughters included." She guffawed loudly, not caring if her laughter shattered the tension around everyone else because honestly, no one could hear her except Cloud. She laughed louder when Cloud agreed with her in his own subtle way, evident only in how he tried to look everywhere but Axel's direction.

Suddenly, Cloud noticed someone staring at him intently in the corner of his eyes and warily, he gazed up. Naminé. The girl was squinting, her brows knitted in a frown, and her lips cast in a downward curl. But strangely enough, she didn't seem to be looking at him. She was looking /behind/ him. Cloud fought off the urge to turn around, but still, he couldn't stop his eyes from roving to the side, where he could see Yuffie freezing in action, only occasionally fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Oh, this is the first time you've met Cloud," Axel interrupted, much to Cloud's relief. "That blond over there," –he pointed towards him- "is Cloud. He's Leon's new boyfriend. Pretty, isn't he? You can probably ask him to model for you."

"Model?" Cloud parroted, surprise lacing his voice.

"Right, Naminé's an artist, and she's always on the lookout for models. While you're not as attractive as Roxas –which is not surprising because nobody is - I'm guessing you're still suitable. Right, Naminé?"

Riku snorted and mumbled something about Sora being the cuter twin.

She nodded. "Oh, definitely. I was just checking out his features before you introduced us," she commented with a light giggle, and Cloud and Yuffie both heaved a sigh of relief. But Cloud's relief was only momentary, for Naminé turned to him and added, "You wouldn't mind, would you? I think… Hmm…" she trailed off, this time staring openly. "I think… I think you and Leon would look great together. Can I?"

Yuffie whistled. "Oh boy, I think you just got yourself another fangirl." She snickered.

Before Cloud or Leon could reply, Naminé was already gathering her art materials in her hands.

"Well, I'll be at the counter. And Axel? I know it's your day off, but do you think you could, well, maybe help out for a while? Roxas looks like he's going to topple over with that many sundaes on his tray," she hinted, nodding to where the blond server was balancing at least seven bowls of ice cream on top of his poor tray. If that tray had been a puppy growling at Riku earlier, it had now been reduced to a panting puppy whining for some rest.

Axel's eyes positively lit up. While Naminé gingerly and slowly made her way over to the counter, the red-head had already slapped an apron on and rushed over to help Roxas unload the sundaes. Despite his vehement protests, it was quite clear that Roxas appreciated the help, if the half-hearted slap to Axel's upper arm as they walked into the kitchen was any indication.

Cloud thought there was a new link in the food chain, though he wasn't quite sure if Roxas was the prey or the predator. As the younger blond snapped at Axel for ruffling his hair, Cloud thought it was probably both. A little closer to the predator's side, but still both. And Axel was the happy prey who would let Roxas have a bite any day.

Selphie, Aeris, Yuffie and even Tidus all swooned, quickly dissolving into fits of chuckles and giggles. Even Riku's repeated utters of 'traitors' did not dampen their moods. With one final glance and a fond shake of his head, Cloud turned back to their table, hoping that his vanilla ice cream had not melted completely into a puddle of water. He was surprised to find the spoon held firmly in Leon's hand, a bit of half-melted ice cream dripping off. Leon's gaze was hopeful.

Without hesitation, Cloud ate the ice cream offered. Flicking Leon's forehead, he said, "Forgiven."

The brunet smiled so beautifully it made Cloud wonder how he had even gotten angry at his boyfriend at all. With a smile of his own, he returned the favour, offering some ice cream. Leon ate the spoonful in one gulp, and before Cloud could react, pressed a short kiss to his lips.

Amidst their friends' catcalls and cheers, the blond only ducked his head and blushed. But he did not protest when Leon asked for more ice cream. Instead, he smiled, as though accepting this as how their relationship was.

* * *

"Hey Cloud? Naminé wants you to have these."

Cloud looked up from where he had been feeding his boyfriend, only to see Axel standing beside him and dangling some sheets of folded paper off his fingertips, looking bored. Quickly, he stuck the spoon back into the huge vanilla sundae –their second- and took the papers, unfolding them as he asked, "What are these? Naminé gave me all of these?"

"Drawings, I think. She did say she wanted to draw you."

"Oh…" Cloud muttered absently, his attention taken up by the sketches upon sketches doodled on the many sheets of paper. It seemed that Naminé was a highly prolific artist, for in the short hour since she'd arrived and taken out her pencils, she had already filled up every single sheet of paper she gave him. Ah, there was one of him offering Leon some ice cream. And then there was one of Leon returning the favour. Cloud felt a blush erupting on his face when he saw the next sketch, where he was kissing Leon full on the lips.

"Ooooh! This is a really nice one!" Yuffie chirped. "Think I can have it? It'd be the perfect cover for the doujinshi I've been thinking about!"

Cloud really applauded his self-control for not swiping at her.

He almost squeaked –however unmanly that was- when Selphie made to grab that picture. Oh no, Cloud was never going to let his friends see /that/ one. He quickly stuffed it into his pants pocket, ignoring Leon's chuckles and how Leon had already seen that image as well as every single one before, since he was sitting right beside himself.

God, whoever said it wasn't a good idea to judge a book by the cover was so right it wasn't even funny. If Naminé wasn't sitting by the counter, beaming and waving at him, Cloud would have believed that the sketches were Axel's prank.

Soon, the less-decent sketches had gone into Cloud's pockets (and Leon's, when Cloud could find no more space in his own to stuff anymore) and the others made their way round the table, attracting much cooing and dreamy sighing from the girls, some admiration from Tidus, and some grudging green eyes from Riku. And Cloud was down to the last sketch. By then, he had already angled his chair away from his boyfriend, who had the tendency to describe the sketch to a curious Selphie, even if the sketch had been one of him making out with Cloud. It was only with a lot of placating words from Yuffie that Cloud didn't get up from his chair to find a shovel and dig himself a hole to hide.

Hence, his chair was now angled away from Leon.

Good thing too, for the next sketch wasn't anything anybody should see. Blood drained out of Cloud's face. And if it was at all possible, Yuffie's face turned ashen as well. Her lips trembled as her hand shook.

"Cloud?" Leon prodded softly after a moment of silence.

There was a screech from the tiles where Cloud's chair had scraped against, a hasty thanks to Axel, a promise to Leon to return in a minute and demand that he just sit down and not follow, and the next thing everyone knew, Cloud was gone.

Whilst the gang speculated and guessed, and whilst Axel had taken Cloud's seat and shoved Leon back into his chair when the brunet made to follow Cloud, Cloud's mind was in a frenzy as his legs moved of their own accord. He had never imagined that a slip of paper was all that was needed to… to push him off his axis? To make the ground disappear from under his feet? To throw a sledgehammer into his stable life?

No, that slip of paper wasn't all that life-changing. But as he made a beeline to the counter where Naminé was no doubt waiting for him, Cloud thought that the seemingly innocent slip of paper had indeed changed something. And to think it had been something so normal that no one had even batted an eyelid when Naminé asked Axel to pass her latest drawings over to Cloud.

The sketches had been innocuous enough, and Cloud had hardly suspected a thing.

Until the final sketch.

"Cloud! Do you think…? Is it really…?" Yuffie asked, but she quickly bit her lip to stop herself.

Cloud did not answer, for they both knew the answer; it was pointless to ask the obvious. That girl in the sketch beside Cloud was surely Yuffie. Her short, black hair, her wide toothy grin, her clothes… all of that had been captured, accurate to a fault, in that final sketch.

Naminé was still by the counter, still gazing at him –no/them/- with a sweet smile. When Cloud and Yuffie got closer enough, her smile widened and she clapped her hands together.

"Do you like the sketches? You and Leon are such wonderful muses; I've not drawn so much in just one afternoon for the longest time already!"

"Naminé," Cloud tested her name. It sounded foreign to him.

She nodded. "Is this about the last sketch? If it is, come with me to the staff lounge. We can talk there. And I think we'll need the privacy for a while," she said, leading the way down a corridor as she did so. Cloud shuffled behind her, wary but left without a choice. They soon arrived at a tightly shut door, and Naminé knocked on it very cautiously.

"Hello? Is anybody inside? This is Naminé!"

No response.

"If nobody's inside, then I'm coming in!" she yelled, hand moving towards the knob. Before that, however, she turned to Cloud and offered a sheepish smile. "The last time I barged in without knocking, I walked into a yaoi fangirl's fantasy land. And as kinky as it was to see Demyx and Zexion do the vertical tango, it was so embarrassing you wouldn't believe it too. I couldn't look at either of them straight in the eye for weeks after that!"

Despite his nerves, Cloud snickered. And so did Yuffie, whose eyes gained a sudden calculative gleam at the mention of 'yaoi fangirl's fantasy land'.

"Those two are together? I would never have thought," Cloud mumbled. "Demyx seems too loud and boisterous for Zexion." And that wasn't just an offhanded comment. In all the weeks since his first visit here, Cloud had met both servers several times. While Demyx was a bundle of precious energy very much adored by the female patrons for his chattiness and friendly nature, Zexion had the reputation of being too quiet and reserved. They were, in simple terms, as different as the sky and earth.

Then again… Cloud was reminded of how alike those two were, compared to himself and Leon. Both polar opposites, and yet they were together.

Naminé seemed to sense what he was thinking. She replied, "Well, I guess loving each other helps."

Cloud's eyes widened before they softened, a faint smile spreading across his face. "…I guess so."

She nodded her approval with a smile as bright as her sun-kissed locks, a twinkle of joy dancing in her clear blue eyes. And then she turned back to the closed door to give it one final knock. "Nobody's in there? One last chance! Okay, I'm coming in!"

Despite all the knocking and yelling, Naminé was still wary of opening the door. If Cloud didn't know better, he would have believed that there were creatures lingering within the dark shadows of the room. There were none, of course, but he was still grateful when Naminé chased away the darkness by flipping on the lights in a swift motion. Prancing inside, the young girl made herself comfortable on the room's huge leather sofa, its size big enough to almost swallow her up. It was also the biggest piece of furniture inside the barely furbished room, a stark contrast to the classy décor outside.

Cloud took the couch opposite hers, wincing when it squeaked in protest. Yuffie just settled down somewhere on a stray couch that stood out like a bamboo in a grassland with its fabric already a shade closer to the colour of dust and dirt rather than its original colour. A wooden table separated them.

"So…" Naminé started, "I guess you're wondering why there's a girl in that final sketch?"

He nodded guardedly, wondering how clearly she could see Yuffie or if she could see her in the room now at all. Yuffie held her breath.

"Well, to be quite honest with you, I've always…" Naminé paused, frowning deeply as she bit on her bottom lip. It took her a while to continue. "…been able to see things. But nobody would believe me, and while my family truly wanted to, they just couldn't see what I did. So I took to drawing everything I saw. Like the girl lounging on that couch" –she pointed at where Yuffie was squatting on- "over there."

Cloud drew a sharp breath, his eyes widening. But his reaction was nothing compared to the slack jaws and popped eyes of Yuffie's, who had very nearly fallen over the couch when Naminé pointed directly at her. Without warning, she shot right to Naminé's heel, waving her arms frantically like a man shipwrecked and marooned on an island seeing a ship passing by for the first time in weeks.

"You can see me? You can /really/ see me?"

"Not clear enough to make out /all/ of your features –parts of the sketch were just guesswork, actually- but yes, I can see you."

There was a moment of silence, but as the adage goes, it was only the calm before the storm named Yuffie went out of control, yelling and jumping around as though she were on one of those inflated castles for children to bounce around.

Cloud smiled at her obvious jubilation wistfully. Yuffie was, despite everything, someone who thrived on social contact, and unlike himself who was content with just his best friend, she needed people other than himself. It was almost one of the pre-requisites for her survival. Of course, things had changed since her death, but old habits just die hard, no puns intended.

While she continued to frolic around and for the first time since her death, actually care about how she looked like now that someone other than her best friend could see her, Cloud turned back to Naminé, who seemed to take everything in stride pretty well. She was seated demurely in a lady-like manner, legs kept together and slanted a good 45 degrees against the floor, her fingers locked and set gently on her thighs. A faint smile accentuated her face. If Cloud had never seen that sketch of himself making out with Leon, he would have still believed the girl to be one of those rare souls who had not one rebellious bone in their bodies.

The girl was certainly more than a caricature of the perfect lady.

Especially if she could see Yuffie.

Especially that.

"So… we've gotten that thrashed out. You can see Yuffie. But… why would you tell me, like that? With a sketch?"

"Yuffie?" It took a second for her eyes to light up in realization. "Oh, is that her name? Well, hi Yuffie! Nice to… meet you, I guess," she said with a giggle.

The sound of her own name got Yuffie's attention, and she quickly floated back to her couch, though she could still barely conceal the bounce on her feet and the pseudo-whistle hanging on her lips.

"Oh, definitely nice!" She was almost breathless in her excitement, the glimmer in her eyes so bright like stars in the night sky.

Naminé nodded, equally excited. "If you don't mind me asking… how…" she trailed off, hands gesturing for someone to continue.

"Bah. Freak car accident. I hate thinking about it, so I'd prefer if you don't ask for the details. Anyway," -Yuffie's voice increased in volume as her eyes regained their bright twinkle- "are there others out there like me? Where are they? In the cemeteries?"

Cloud blanched, mentally reminding himself to stop taking that shortcut across the cemetery.

"Well… I haven't exactly 'seen' anyone recently. In fact, I think you're the first in quite a long time," Naminé replied, tapping her fingers as she tried to count and recall just how long it had been. "Probably… the first in what? Five, six months? And I've not spoken to one in an even longer time. The last time I spoke to one of you guys was a few years ago, when this little girl couldn't understand why her mother couldn't see her anymore. I had to spend a whole afternoon explaining why before she found her way to the afterlife. Anyway, how long have you been hanging around Cloud? A couple days? A week?"

The two best friends exchanged a long, surprised stare.

"More like… a couple weeks?"

Naminé frowned. "That's a little… long, don't you think? Most of the ones I've seen, especially the ones lingering in the hospital, they move on really fast. I get the feeling that they're not supposed to hang around too long. They have somewhere they have to be, after all, and it's…" she trailed off wistfully, shaking her head gently before continuing, "not here with us."

Neither Cloud nor Yuffie could find a response to that. The issue of Yuffie's next move had been only a passing thought, both of them too caught up in staying together, in carrying on with the lives as though their friendship had never changed. It had been only a passing thought neither wanted to acknowledge. They stared at each other blankly.

For the longest while, as Naminé waited for something she knew would not come so easily, the two friends fell into deep silence.

* * *

The car ride home was quiet again.

Yuffie had chosen to stay behind with Naminé for some time, her mood subdued and voice quiet when she asked Cloud to go on ahead without her, that she'd find him later on. But her absence wasn't the only reason why the car ride was so quiet, for when Yuffie wasn't around to tease and goad, Leon would strike some sort of small talk to get rid of the silence. He did nothing of that sort this time round, however, and it suited Cloud just fine. His heart just wouldn't be in it, anyway.

Vaguely, Cloud wondered what the girls were going to talk about. Was Naminé going to tell Yuffie about her past experiences with others of her kind? About those who had overstayed their welcome in this world that no longer wanted them? Or maybe even teach her how to move on?

That thought made his heart clench painfully.

Oh, it wasn't that the thought had never crossed his mind before. It had, in fact, plagued his mind so many times but not once had he willingly acknowledged it. He was selfish, he admitted, to hope that Yuffie would never leave.

But what would await her if she continued to stay? Nobody but he and Naminé could see her, and surely, Yuffie wouldn't want to spend the rest of what time she had looking after Cloud. And her parents had already moved away, back to Wutai, a few weeks after her death. Even if she went over to find them, they couldn't see her. Everyone else had since moved on from her death. What other reason did she have that would merit her stay here?

Nothing. Not a thing at all.

Not after she had given Cloud one final 'gift', giving him someone who would take care of him in her stead.

There was nothing else that should tie Yuffie down anymore.

So, she should… move on?

Move on?

Move… on…?

He had to lose Yuffie all over again?

All that excruciating heartache, the unbearable loss of a part of himself, the waves upon waves of tears everytime he saw something that reminded him of the exuberant girl, now lying cold in her grave… he had to go through that all over again?

But…

…it was for the best, right?

Yuffie was already…

…dead.

Cloud's vision started to feel a little blurry, and he quickly turned his head away to stare out of the window, unwilling to let the other person in the car see his vulnerability. When he sniffed to stop the tears from falling, he gave his collar a tug, pretending to be cold. He was not surprised to hear Leon turn the air-conditioner down after that.

"Cloud? Are you alright?"

The blond sniffed again, his face heating up suddenly at the realization that he had very nearly cried in front of Leon, and he turned back around with an embarrassed smile.

"I'm…I'm fine. Just a little cold. But I'll be okay." He sniffed once more for emphasis. When Leon looked unconvinced, Cloud quickly pointed out of the window, just behind his concerned boyfriend. "Oh, look! We're at my house already! I honestly hadn't noticed. Well, I'll see you tomorrow then. Bye!" And he made to get out, his hand already on the door's handle.

A sharp 'swoosh' followed immediately, and Cloud turned back warily. Just as he had expected, Leon's hand was still resting on the car's main lock button. When Leon finally moved his hand away, Cloud's eyes couldn't help but track the movement, sighing as it came into contact with his cool cheek.

"Cloud, what's wrong? You've been acting weird since talking with Naminé. What did you two talk about? And why won't you let me see that last sketch?"

"It's just… she just drew something I didn't want to see. Nothing much. Just… I didn't expect her to be so perceptive." Sensing an oncoming retort, he quickly added, "Not now, Leon. Maybe I'll show it to you another time. But not now."

Leon sighed, but from the way he was leaning back into his seat, Cloud knew he'd won this time. But that didn't mean Leon liked it, and his body language showed as much. The little crease in his brows, the downward-pointing lips, the frustrated look in his eyes… Oh no, Leon was far from liking it. The good thing about Leon was, however, he knew when to stop prodding, and Cloud was immensely glad for that. He didn't think his boyfriend was ready to find out that his dead best friend was actually still lingering around them and that she was the reason why he had 'confessed' to him in the first place.

Before Leon had a chance to mull and get frustrated over this even more, Cloud seized the opportunity to disrupt his boyfriend's train of thought with a simple but extremely effective technique: a chaste kiss pressed against Leon's cheek. And when Leon turned around in surprise, Cloud cupped his face gently with his hands, leaning in once more to press his lips against Leon's other cheek.

The blond backed away a moment later, a faint smile on his lips and a hot blush on his face. The combination was one that was sweeter than honey.

Leon blinked for a long while before a feral smirk tugged intently on his lips. To think, just a few days ago Cloud had been so incredibly shy to even initiate anything intimate. No, now was not the time to cajole and press on for the reason of his boyfriend's distress. But it wouldn't be forgotten. If Cloud thought that a few kisses would make Leon forget about the issue, then he was dead wrong. A change of tactic was required, and Leon would get his answers, albeit later. So instead of pressing on with his questions, he reached out to brush Cloud's chin with a teasing finger.

"You're smiling now. So hmm… kissing cheers you up? Then I imagine we'll be kissing a lot more in the future," he said, half in jest and half in all seriousness.

Cloud chuckled. The way and tone Leon had said that with tickled his throat. "It's not that. Kissing doesn't cheer me up. It's…" –he chuckled again at Leon's hopeful gaze, and he nudged his wayward boyfriend in the shoulders - "I don't know how to describe or explain this. I just feel better now."

And it was true, he realized. In the days since Yuffie's death, there had been so little to smile about. School had become more of a dreary dungeon in the day that he had to go alone, and home was even quieter without the girl's noisy antics when his mother was away at work. Yuffie's parents had tried to carry on with their lives, continued to care for him and asked him over for dinner on the nights when Eleanor was busy, but the neighbourhood brought back too many unwanted memories and they eventually moved away. His world had grown so silent and cold.

Then, in a strange twist of events, Yuffie was back, and true to her words of giving him the best present ever, she gave him Leon.

Another shy smile blossomed across Cloud's lips, just as a rather fetching pink blush invaded his face again.

The brunet nodded sagely, a twinkle of mischief appearing in his eyes. That twinkle should have set off all the warning lights and red alerts in Cloud, but somehow, one way or another, he had gotten used to Leon's teasing ways. Therefore, he was not really surprised when Leon added, "You know, in cases like this, you should say, 'Being with you makes me happy, Leon.' And you follow that up with a kiss, just for emphasis."

Cloud supposed anybody else would have rolled their eyes at this lame attempt to cheer him up. But if the normally cool and composed Squall Leonhart was trying his best to cheer him up, then who was he to complain?

"Being with you makes me really happy, Leon. Thank you." Taking advantage of Leon's –who probably wasn't expecting him to comply so easily- momentary stunned stillness, he pulled Leon down, shyly kissing the corner of his mouth. A little closer now, but still not quite close enough.

In the short moment of the chaste kiss, however, Leon had already gathered his wits about him again, so before Cloud could even think of backing away, he found himself trapped in the strongholds of Leon's arms. Expectant blues met and locked with stormy greys, their warm breaths mixing in the still cold air as Leon leaned in, bringing their lips so close there was barely an inch separating them. Cloud's heart hammered in anticipation.

"Being with you, everyday, like this, makes me really happy too," Leon whispered.

It was a softly uttered statement, but somehow, in the quiet confines of the car and the breath-tickling distance between them, the words gained strength and volume, echoing faintly in their minds time and time again. With the steady power of the meaning behind each and every of those words, Cloud found himself lured closer and closer to Leon, much like the sun's glorious rays beckoning for the flower to lean closer. As his eyes fluttered shut, unconsciously, he felt his lips touching Leon's.

So warm, so sweet.

So powerful.

Vaguely, he thought he felt Leon smile into their kiss. A bubbling affection welled up within him, warming him, and suddenly, the chill he felt earlier had all but disappeared like it had never existed at all. Unbothered by those mindless thoughts, Cloud just pulled Leon nearer.

* * *

Five hours later, as Cloud was expertly twirling his pen while frowning at his assignment, Yuffie finally floated back inside his room through the window together with a particularly cool breeze. He shivered at the sudden draft, lifting his head with a little confusion. When the girl waved at him awkwardly, he blinked for a moment before raising a hand and waved back just as awkwardly.

"Oh, you're back…"

Yuffie's smile was stiff and unnatural. "Yeah…"

"So…" –Cloud spun his seat around to face the girl, who had just floated down to rest on his bed- "had a good chat with Naminé?"

"Yeah, it was good."

Silence immediately filled the void, the moment Yuffie's voice trailed off. More silence followed as they just stared down at the floor, unsure of what else to say. And then there was even more silence.

Finally, Yuffie, always the less patient one of the two, sighed tiredly. "Naminé and I… we talked about a lot of stuff, but mostly we talked about the afterlife and what comes after death. And as much as I hate to admit it, she's right about me needing to move on, you know? I mean, I can't stay here forever. This is the land of the living, and for guys like me, we belong in another place. I'm still not sure where I'm supposed to go, but…" –she shrugged helplessly- "I'll have to go there one day."

Cloud swallowed the lump in his throat, looking up with what he hoped was a smile on his face. Or at least what were not teary eyes. "Ye-yeah. So… when will you be… leaving?" It was easier to say the words than he'd believed, but that didn't ease his dejection. The mere thought of seeing his best friend leave again… it killed him.

Yuffie seemed to realize this, or maybe the thought of leaving Cloud again tore her apart as well, and she attempted to laugh. What came out of her lips was choked, and subdued. "Don't worry! I'm not going to be leaving so soon! I still need to find my way there, you know? And… I've no idea how to get there now, but I think…" she trailed off, taking a deep breath before continuing, "I'll find out when it's time to go. In the meantime, I think I'll just stay here and bug you a bit more. You need my help, after all. How else would you handle your wayward but very kissable boyfriend?" She teased, the grin dancing on her lips bright and truly happy.

As though her grin was infectious, the blond felt himself grinning as well. He shook his head with fond exasperation.

"I can handle Leon just fine, alright?"

"Famous last words, kid. Famous last words."

They stared at each other, trying to glare the other down with mock-fury in their eyes that were sparkling with a shared understanding. It lasted for only a minute before both dissolved into fits of giggles, just like how they had always been with each other. In just the span of a few moments, Cloud had already very nearly fallen out of his chair as he hugged his aching stomach, and Yuffie was kicking her legs futilely to shake away the last vestiges of laughter.

"Heh, I don't think Leon will be happy if he hears us talk about him like this."

Cloud only nodded, too out of breath to agree aloud.

"But I'm sure he's happy that you talk about him at all. After all, he's been after you for so long."

This time, he did not agree. Instead, he took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving the figure lounging on his bed.

"Yuffie… is this why you couldn't leave? After you died? Is it because of me and Leon?" Cloud wished his eyes had deceived him when Yuffie stilled, hoped that his ears had tricked him when she sighed, slowly sitting up.

The crease between her brows was like a punch to his guts. Suddenly, the whole thing felt so disgusting and he thought he could feel bile in his throat, threatening to come up.

"Cloud, I was worried about you."

He wanted to bolt and empty his stomach.

"But don't think for one second that this is your fault. It's not that easy to leave this world without a care, alright? And you're not the only reason I stayed."

His throat was so dry, so parched. "But…"

She sighed. "I've visited my parents a couple times, at night, when you're asleep. Wutai isn't that far away. And… they're doing fine. I mean, of course they're bored without me messing things around," –she chuckled weakly- "but they're moving on. They started a laundry business there, you know?"

Cloud shook his head.

"And… now you're with Leon, and I know for sure that he'd sooner cut off his own arm than hurt you intentionally, so… I'm not worried."

"Is… is there someone else?"

Yuffie blinked, cocking her head to the side. Then realization dawned on her at the look of discomfort on Cloud's face, and her confusion gave way to an amused smile.

"Aww! Is widdle Cloudster jealous?" she cooed with a pout, batting her long lashes like an adorable puppy. She held her fisted arms just under her chin, invoking the image of a Lolita doll, complete with an imaginary frilly dress that bordered on a French maid costume. "Don't be jealous! Yuffie will always love widdle Cloudster the most!"

Escaping Yuffie's sickly sweet clutches, the burden on Cloud's mind never went away. After all, Yuffie had never said 'no' outright to his final question.

* * *

Cloud thought his day couldn't get any worse.

It had been a few days since their meeting with Naminé, and all talk about moving on had died down between him and Yuffie. Leon had apologized again with more tubs of vanilla ice cream during another visit to his house, and his mum had all but pulled the brunet in for dinner, where he had a hell of a time fending off questions about the hickey the other day. Life was well.

Or life was /supposed/ to be well, except for a few days when one's patron planet clashed with one's horoscope or the likes. Simply put, those were called bad days.

Today was one of those days.

Breakfast had been a half-burnt toast thanks to Leon's touchy-feely distraction, school had been more of a chore than usual, Mr. Highwind had picked on him in class for forgetting his textbook, he'd lost his favourite notepad, (Yuffie had cheekily chalked up another proof for his bad day when Leon mentioned that he had an emergency meeting with his kendo club that afternoon), and worst of all, Naminé had called during lunch time to ask him for his address.

And for what?

So she could mail him a sample of the cover she was planning for her latest doujinshi, she said. She had been inspired by Leon and Cloud together, she said. Yuffie had very helpfully provided her with lots of ideas for the best doujinshi ever, she said. She was going to sell the doujinshi at the next anime convention, she said. And the doujinshi was going to be a major hit with fangirls, she said.

Cloud wanted to kill Yuffie and then commit suicide.

No, he wanted to burn all of Naminé's drawing materials, revive Yuffie, kill Yuffie, and then commit suicide.

Yuffie, on the other hand, had been beaming the whole day ever since the phone call, proud and gleeful that she'd finally found the perfect candidate to help her draw the doujinshi of the century.

Cloud really thought his day couldn't get any worse.

* * *

After parting ways with Leon, who had dashed off with Riku in tow for their meeting after an apology, Cloud trudged down to his locker, feeling more than a little off. Leon usually drove him home, but it seemed that today would be an exception. It was a weird feeling, to know that he wouldn't be able to see Leon if he just turned to his side at the red lights, or that if he was silent on the ride home, there would be no Leon to tease him gently and kiss him.

One kiss to activate his ability to talk, Leon always jested.

A trace of sweetness bubbled inside Cloud at the memory, and he smiled softly.

"What are you laughing at? Don't tell me just a few minutes away from your precious boyfriend has broken your mind!" Yuffie poked him, conceding to fold her arms as she pouted, irked when her fingers passed through Cloud again.

Cloud glanced up at her, a reply already hanging on his lips, but he quickly swallowed them all when he spied someone leaning against his locker again. A few more steps confirmed that the person was indeed Seifer. Cloud winced internally, as did Yuffie. It wasn't that he hated Seifer. Oh no, not that. But after his last conversation with the blond, Cloud didn't think he could face Seifer normally.

"Hi, Hi Seifer. Looking for me?"

The cool blond nodded, pushing himself off the locker, unfolding his arms in the process. He was a suave man who had his fair share of charmed ladies and fans, and he was certainly a good friend who'd helped Cloud before, but there was still a deadly aura to him that was akin to a cobra ready to lunge at one second's notice.

"Just brought you the book. I figured it'd be difficult for us to meet in the corridors," he said simply, his copy of _The Virgin and the Gypsy' _held loosely in his hand.

Cloud's eyes lit up. "Oh! Thank you!" He stepped forward and stretched out his arm to take the offered item, feeling guilty all of a sudden. Seifer had only been here to lend him his book, after all.

But as he stepped closer, there was an abrupt pull on his arm, causing him to plunge forward. Before he could register anything else, there was already something warm covering his mouth and a strong arm wound around his waist, keeping him in place. Vaguely, Cloud thought he heard Yuffie's choke. And then the world all but muted.

It was over what felt like an eternity later, and Seifer pulled away, a strange look in his eyes. Clutching Cloud's hand over the book, he looked as if he wanted to say something. But then he gave up and left, his footsteps echoing down the hallway as he rounded the corner and disappeared.

Cloud remained rooted to where he was, the book dangling loosely in his fingers before it fell onto the ground.

-tbc-

(1): Hadoken – If you don't know what this word means, you've obviously never played 'Street Fighter'. XD

**Teaser for next chapter: **In which Cloud is still in shock, Yuffie is flustered to no ends, Eleanor proves that mothers always know more than they let on, Leon thinks that Cloud hasn't yet gotten over Yuffie's death, and a newcomer in town shakes things up a bit.

**A/N: **My first update in 2008! Did everyone have a Merry Christmas and a good New Year? Hope you all did!

In any case, please remember to review if you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews equals motivation, and I'd love it very much if you would take a moment to tell me what you like about this chapter. Ha ha, I did take a considerably shorter time to update this chapter than the previous chapter. So please review and comment!

And if you haven't read it yet, I recently updated Vanilla Souffle, so go and read and review too! I was slightly disappointed when both the view and review counts were down by half for that new chapter. Kinda makes me think something was off with it when I actually like the chapter so much.


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Vanilla part 10

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: LxC

Warnings: AU, romance, sap, fluff, humour, OOC-ness

Word count: 10545

Rating: R

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to lay claim to Cloud, I'm kinda scared of Leon's gunblade. So well, I don't own Kingdom Hearts and its character, and neither do I own the various Final Fantasies and their characters.

Note: This fic is inspired by the Japanese manga Eerie Queerie. And this fic's theme song is Gackt's Vanilla. /sniggers/

Summary: Cloud's only friend, Yuffie, had just died a few weeks ago. However, Yuffie can't move on to the next world and so she follows Cloud around in his daily life. And she just can't resist the opportunity to play the finest prank on Cloud by possessing his body and confessing to someone… LxC

* * *

If anyone had asked Cloud what a kiss felt just 4 months ago, he'd blink and crinkle his nose, scratch his head and look around for help before finally conceding that it probably felt good. After all, everyone kissed, on-screen, off-screen, in books, in real life… it would be weird if kissing didn't actually feel good.

And if anyone had asked Cloud what kisses meant to him, he'd no doubt scrunch up his face and point out that kisses were one of the most powerful tools at a romance novelist's disposal. It was something they loved abusing as a deus ex machine to force the plot along, or in cases where the leads were madly in love, a handy device to introduce fan service. Lots and lots of fan service, enough to generate waves upon waves of wild screaming and swooning from fan girls.

Now, however, if anyone asked him the same questions, he'd turn several pretty shades of red and render the red cosmetic blusher completely useless before sputtering nonsensical words that would be interrupted repeatedly by pauses and stammers. His lack of a coherent answer did not mean Cloud could not answer the question. No, of course not. It was just a matter of temporarily returning all he'd ever learn about English to his English teachers.

It was a completely different matter inside his head though.

After so many weeks of dating a boyfriend who was never stingy (one might even say he was overly generous) with physical affections, never let it be said that Cloud Strife did not even reach first base. In fact, sometimes he scared himself with how fast they were progressing towards the perfect homerun.

In Cloud's head, he could spew out analogies of how kisses felt with such speed and poetic license he thought he should be writing romance novels. A dime for a dozen analogies, he heard himself think. Moreover, as if that wasn't enough, Cloud thought he had enough experience that he could probably start categorizing kisses using something like the Dewey decimal system. Sweet kisses, angry kisses, tender kisses, rough kisses, chaste kisses, lingering kisses… He was quite sure he'd experienced them all.

After this afternoon, and in school of all places, Cloud could pat himself on the chest and add 'forced kisses' to his ever-growing list.

In that isolated and deserted corridor, witnessed by only the metal lockers and a humming fluorescent light, Seifer had pulled him into his arms and kissed him. Full on the lips. The world could have exploded under his feet at that moment and Cloud wouldn't have noticed.

Raising his fingers to his lips, he could still feel the tingling sensation that had already been there for the last few hours. His face was unbearably warm.

Sprawled out across his bed, Cloud let his hand fall back onto the mattress heavily and heaved another sigh. When he had finally internalized the idea that he was Leon's boyfriend and that they were dating for real, he'd not realized he'd signed himself up for an extra dose of drama and complicated relationships. Hell, while he had plenty to be dubious of, he had definitely not expected the drama to latch onto him with its killer teeth and refuse to let go.

Who in the world expected Mr. Seifer-I'm-better-than-all-of-you-Almasy to kiss them, anyway?

Cloud knew. He knew that Seifer was exceptionally nice towards him whilst treating everyone else like they were lower than the dirt on his boots. He knew Seifer seemed to actually smile at him but spared no one else from his arrogant smirks and cold stares. He knew Seifer treated him differently, had known from the first day when the other had helped him, chatted with him, and offered him his books.

Cloud knew all that. He'd just refused to acknowledge the possible special meaning behind those actions.

He snuck a glance at the translucent figure of his best friend currently hovering above his desk. Her face was a mixture of bewilderment and shock, her eyes wide and lips slightly opened. In fact, she looked as though words had escaped her and in their attempt to recapture all those lost phrases so she could curse and swear, her brain was so overtaxing itself that it was just a matter of time when it would break. Well, no surprises there.

"Yuffie?"

"…Yeah?"

"Why… Why do you think that happened?"

The almost dazed look she fixed him with, complete with an insistent tugging at the corner of her lips as though she was having a muscle ache, told him that she was more than just confused herself. Or maybe she was caught between anger and panic, rather than shock, because the moment Cloud finished his question, a murderous aura started to gather around her like clouds getting ready for a thunder storm.

"I'd wondered if this was going to happen. I'd hoped it would not happen. I'd almost /prayed/ that it would not happen. And for the longest time, I'd thought Seifer would never act on his feelings. I just never pinned him down as the type! He's like the cockiest guy I've ever met, and cocky guys don't just come up to people and kiss them!" she yelled as she flailed her arms wildly. Then as though on second thoughts, she added, "Okay, wait, maybe they do. Cocky guys do just up and kiss people they like. But no cocky guys do it like Seifer! Did you notice that he was blushing!?"

Cloud winced. If Yuffie thought that his mind was still functioning normally back then to even register anything other than the kiss, she was sorely mistaken.

"So you think he likes me too? I was kinda hoping it was just me…" he muttered softly.

She snorted. "Not bloody likely. It was really obvious he likes you since that time he cornered you after your conversation with Zell, but this kiss of his really just took the cake. Hell, he probably just stole an entire cart of whip cream to go with it too!"

"So there's no way around it? None at all?"

Yuffie shook her head slowly and defiantly, a pout ever present on her face.

At that, Cloud deflated like a balloon out of air and slumped further onto his bed, if it were possible. Suddenly feeling tired, he buried his face in his hands and groaned.

"I- I don't understand!" he exclaimed, letting his hands fall to the sides of his head. Somehow, he looked as though he was surrendering to an enemy neither of them could see but still loomed overhead. "Why does Seifer like me? I didn't even do anything for him! And it's not like we're especially close. Sure, I've known him since all those months ago, but we didn't even talk much after that. And even if we did spend an entire afternoon chatting, what did we chat about? D. H. Lawrence and his books. There's nothing that'd make him like me from that conversation. I… I just don't get it. And when did he start liking me? If it was all the way back then, why didn't he say anything?"

The confusion felt like a black hole, suddenly, and it was sucking everything out of Cloud. He couldn't think properly, couldn't understand anything, and there was a blanket of weariness that weighed heavily on him like the heaviest chain mail. It made him feel so… helpless. As eccentric as it was, Cloud hated himself for that. When he was still alone with only Yuffie to call his friend, he'd harboured hopes of getting secret admirers one day. People who'd tell him they liked him for being him and people who wanted a chance to get closer to him. But naïve little him had forgotten to factor in his own feelings, had ignored the possibility of not actually liking his secret admirer in the same way. If he'd known the helplessness that would come with such crushes and admiration, he'd have chastised himself severely for harbouring such silly dreams in the first place.

For once, Yuffie seemed to really ponder upon the problem instead of crossing her fingers and hoping for the problem to resolve itself. She sat at the edge of Cloud's desk, legs crossed, a hand supporting her chin, and bit her bottom lip. For a moment there, one could have been fooled into believing she was the female version of 'The Thinker' statue.

"You know how some people just need a push in the right direction before they actually do something?" she mumbled pensively, her voice gaining an awkward sort of confidence as she spoke. There was a glint in her eyes suddenly, realization dawning on her. "Maybe you dating Leon provided that push. As for when Seifer started liking you, that's not really important, is it?"

Cloud sighed, still lying supine on his bed and staring at the white-washed ceiling. "One Leon was enough. One Leon was enough to make me wonder what's so good about me."

"I could tell you a million things about what's so good about you and why I like you, but I wouldn't be able to answer why Seifer likes you. Only Seifer himself knows, and we sure as hell aren't going to ask him any time soon. And it's not like that guy has any close friends that we could try to rip information from. Otherwise, I could possess you and talk up to them, you know? Hey wait a sec."

Yuffie narrowed her eyes at a sudden thought, and a grin emerged victoriously. It was a grin that combined sheer wickedness and quick wits, and as one might say, signaled the arrival of the devil.

"You know what we can do? I could possess you," –she ignored Cloud's half-hearted groan that she'd already thrown the idea out into the open earlier- "and confront Seifer! And by 'confront' I don't mean we get all wimpy and just ask what's wrong with him. I say we march up to him and give him one tight slap! He deserves that for kissing you, especially when he knows you're already attached to Leon! Right! That's exactly what we'll do! I'll even get the body bag ready!" She pumped her fist in the air triumphantly like she'd found the solution for solving world poverty, on top of finding the means to combat global warming.

The absoluteness of her tone tripped off all the alarms and sirens inside Cloud's mind, and he bolted upright so fast Yuffie was surprised he didn't get whiplash.

"Yuffie!" he exclaimed, looking terribly, terribly scandalized. His eyes were wide and shining with indignation, and his jaw dropped with a frustrated huff. For a moment, he merely gurgled like a fish struggling to breathe out of water, his mouth opening and closing and then opening again. Finally, he looked back at his friend defiantly, a frown on his face.

"I'm not going to slap him. He's my friend! And why would we need body bags?"

She raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Friend? Well, as far as I know, friends don't go around forcing kisses on other friends."

"Friends don't go around slapping other friends either," he snapped, almost like a vicious crocodile. When he noticed that Yuffie was obviously not impressed, he sighed deeply and hung his head. "Despite what happened, Seifer's… Seifer's still a friend. I still want to be his friend. Don't you understand? Before everything happened, before you died and before I dated Leon, Seifer was one of the few people who talked to me for anything that was not school-related. And we really had fun, that afternoon in the bookstore, even though we've never done it again. But that afternoon… that afternoon was, really nice."

It really was. There was no denying that that afternoon had been one of the happiest afternoons he'd had in a very long time, and it meant something very special to him. For once, his happiness was not brought on by Yuffie, once his only and closest friend. Instead, he'd gotten to chat and laugh and get all excited together with a new friend, one who shared his passion for books. Even Yuffie could never understand the solace he found in those tiny lines upon lines of text, all woven together to encase him in a world of fantasy, overwhelming emotions and fantastical magic. He'd tried, once or twice, to indulge her and try to bring her into this private world of his, but Yuffie wasn't the type to read. She read when she had to, when she was cramming for exams, and other than that, books were a virtual stranger to her.

She just couldn't make herself enjoy reading, even for his sake.

And Cloud had once thought it was enough, to read alone and turn the implications of every action written in the book over in his mind by himself. Reading was his private, personal sport, and it was alright that he didn't have anyone to share it with.

But his belief of ten years was shattered much too easily with just that one afternoon. Discussing his favourite stories with Seifer had been invigorating. Chatting about the could-haves and the might-haves in the books was much too interesting to be done alone.

In his reverie, he never noticed how Yuffie's eyes darted to him as her body stiffened, almost as though she were afraid to move. It was as though the air around her had frozen and the chill was seeping into her, bit by bit, and the colour on her face faded away.

"He-Hey… Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you… like him?"

"Hmm? I guess so… He was really nice to me that afternoon, and he still is. He hasn't exactly given me any reason to dislike him, you know? Well, maybe you could say there's the kiss, but… I dunno. I just… don't dislike him, even after that," he mumbled softly. The words had come to him naturally, without much need think, and when he sifted through the words again carefully, he nodded firmly. What he'd said was exactly how he felt, even if he couldn't explain it.

"Huh… So I guess you… really like him?"

"I guess…"

"Oh."

There was a stifling silence after that last soft utter from Yuffie, and Cloud frowned. Yuffie's reactions seemed… off, somehow. For all her talk about possessing his body so they could march right up to Seifer and slap him, she was being much too passive and quiet right now. In fact, as Cloud scrutinized her and she continued to stay in a world of her own and miss his intense gaze, he thought she looked like a child who was afraid to speak up and bring attention to herself again after having gotten a good dressing down for breaking her father's favourite vase.

"Yuffie?"

She gasped, eyes blinking wildly as she jerked upright. It took her a moment to notice her friend staring at her through narrowed eyes, and she replied warily, "Wh-what?"

"Are you alright?"

Yuffie tried to laugh, but it turned out to be more of a forceful choke. "What do you mean if I'm alright? Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?"

Only idiots and the blind could be fooled by a lie so obvious, and Cloud was almost insulted that she thought he'd buy it.

"Don't lie to me, Yuff."

She winced and jerked away as though Cloud had punched her in the guts; that was a name Cloud never called her by just for fun. A deep frown so unlike her quirky self quickly emerged on her face, and she bit her bottom lip.

"I just… I just had a thought. It's silly though, so you don't have to worry yourself over it."

"I'll decide for myself if it's silly. Tell me what's bothering you."

Yuffie remained silent for a very long while, meeting his hard gaze with a pair of eyes that seemed much too innocent and apprehensive to be hers, locking and unlocking her fingers. Yuffie was one of the strongest and upbeat people Cloud knew, always telling him how she was going to forever seize the moment and live as she wished. It was almost disturbing to see her so unsure of herself.

Finally, just when Cloud was about to repeat his words, she hung her head as though defeated and started to mumble.

"I just… thought that maybe… I'd gotten you the wrong guy."

Cloud had ran through the possible reasons that could have gotten his friend upset, but never had he even once thought of what she said. Those words came as such a surprise that Cloud could only wonder if his ears were tricking him. "Huh?"

Yuffie was still biting her lip and playing with her fingers when she spoke, but the moment Cloud looked at her in sheer confusion, she broke down. It was as though Cloud's confusion had opened the floodgates, and the words just came gushing out of Yuffie's lips in a rush to be heard.

"It's just…! Cloud, if you don't like Seifer, you wouldn't still be siding him! You like him, right? And I know you like Leon and he likes you too, but… what if I'd gotten you the wrong guy? It could happen, right? I mean, I was in such a hurry to get you that special someone because I didn't know when I'd really be gone! I don't want you to be alone! I'd already known that Leon likes you, and I thought that with his popularity in school, you'd get to know more people too! So that's why I got you together with him! But if… but if you like Seifer more, then! Then I…!"

A clear sheen had gathered in her eyes by the time her voice choked, but she didn't seem like she was finished. Words refused to come to her, however, and she started to flail her arms in frustration.

"Yuffie."

Too caught up in her struggle for a proper explanation, she failed to register her name being called at first. It took Cloud two more tries to finally get her fleeting attention before she asked for a bit more time to gather her thoughts, and a final annoyed shout to get her to look at him again.

"Wh-what?"

"Would you listen to me before you jump to conclusions?" Cloud demanded with a huff. Once he was certain he'd gotten her to pay him more than a fraction's worth of attention, he ignored the warmth of his face and continued, "Yuffie… you didn't get the wrong guy."

Yuffie's hands were still buried in her hair from her own aggravated tousling, but she'd stopped. Instead, she turned to look at him, eyes wide with disbelief and mouth slightly open like a goldfish gaping for air and food at the same time. It was, for lack of a better word, adorable, though it also bothered on the edge of being comical.

Cloud simply smiled, with tinges of pink dusting his ears and the bridge of his nose. "You've never been wrong about me. Like the time when you told me I'd be able to get admitted into the school I wanted if I just put my mind to it, you were right. And that time when you told me I'd be able to make new friends at summer camp, you were right again. Well, I didn't manage to stay in touch with them, but I did make friends with the people there, so you were still right. You've always been right about me, and this time isn't an exception.

"You picked the right guy."

Yuffie only blinked at him owlishly, as though someone was offering to show her the way out of a maze she'd gotten herself into and finally, she realized that the exit was just so very close by. It had always been there, just a stone's throw away, and it'd taken someone else to point it out. All the tension in her tiny frame seemed to seep out all of a sudden, and she grinned widely. In an instant, she picked herself up again and with her arms akimbo, she laughed.

"That's true! I've never been wrong about the things around you! Why would this be an exception?" she asked haughtily, directing a sharp look at Cloud as though daring him to object.

He shook his head with fond exasperation. Obnoxious as she could be, there was no other way he'd like Yuffie to be. This was the Yuffie he'd known and came to love, after all.

A sudden ringing tone caught his attention, and Cloud quickly dug his cell phone out of his book bag that he'd dropped haphazardly by his bed earlier, when he'd gotten home. It was a text message from Leon, and for it to come so suddenly, right after he'd confessed his feelings for Leon aloud, it almost felt like Leon had heard him somehow. The idea made a blush erupt across his face again. But upon reading the message, he scrunched his face. Ignoring Yuffie's curious stares, he wondered how he was supposed to reply to his boyfriend's question of if he'd gotten home safely and if anything had happened on his way home.

Well, something /had/ happened, but Cloud didn't think it'd be a good idea to tell Leon or anyone about it. He wasn't even sure what exactly had happened and why it had. No, he wasn't going to tell anyone, least of all his boyfriend. He had a nagging feeling that the four horsemen of Apocalypse would be rounding the corner if he did.

With a soft sigh, he replied with a curt 'just got home' and set his phone on the nightstand. When it rang again, almost immediately after he'd put the phone down, he merely eyed it before lying down in bed and resting his eyes. The more he said, the more likely he was to say something he wasn't supposed to.

Yuffie cocked her head to the side. "Leon?"

The lack of response was answer enough. She floated across the room and crossed her legs over Cloud's headboard, almost wishing she was still alive so she could give her best friend a good kick.

"Finding it hard to face Leon now, huh? That's exactly why I suggested getting the body bag."

Without moving an inch from his comfortable position, Cloud replied coolly, "No body bags, Yuff. No blood either."

"Douche bag."

"It's called being a law-abiding citizen."

She snorted again, crossing her arms and looking at him with the eyes of a prankster. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that on top of being afflicted by the Ultimate Uke Syndrome-"

"The what!?"

"-You've also gotten infected with the 'Not willing to give up the forest for one tree' syndrome that strikes a lot of people after a while of dating. Basically, you think that just dating one guy a.k.a. Leon is not enough to give you an idea of how good you can have, and you want to try out more guys before settling down for real. It's also known as the 'not settling down for one fish in the ocean because there're so many of them' syndrome."

Cloud huffed and rolled his eyes, looking scandalized and insulted. He quickly buried his head under his pillow with a pained groan, knowing all too well from personal experience that it was safer that he shut up and just let the girl talk, for whatever he said would just add tinder to the mischievous flames burning behind her eyes.

* * *

Spearing a piece of the beef stir-fry almost viciously, Cloud really hoped that Yuffie would get the message and stop going on and on about his supposed illnesses, as she had for the past two hours. Granted, even the long-winded chatterbox had stopped when Cloud was called into the dining room for dinner, but there was no guarantee that she wouldn't start up again after that. In fact, if Cloud thought himself a little more pessimistic, he could just hear the racecar engine that was revving to go at the start of the race course.

After the fish-in-the-ocean analogy, she'd started comparing Leon and Seifer to everything, from insects to dinosaurs, from felines to household electrical appliances so she could, in her words, 'show how Leon was a much better choice than Seifer'. Unfortunately, Yuffie wasn't very good with analogies, metaphors and the finer points in English; she was, quite unfortunately for her teachers, the type who'd describe two lovers running into each other's arms as two high-speed trains that were heading for a collision, complete with malfunctioning brakes, rotten weather, and a pack of news-hungry reporters.

She had his best interests at heart?

Bullshit!

Yuffie was just one who didn't like giving up any opportunities to annoy the hell out of him.

Especially when she /knew/ that Cloud wasn't going to leave Leon. She /knew/ that nothing short of a meteor would pry him away from Leon. She was the one who'd practically forced him into Leon's arms and coerced him to admit his true feelings to himself. How could she not know? Of course she did. It was impossible that she didn't. And after that little episode in his room earlier, Cloud was certain Yuffie had reaffirmed her status as an ace matchmaker. It almost made him regret his choice of words of how she was never wrong with the things around him.

But… he did understand why she'd reacted the way she did earlier, to some extent.

Cloud, if you don't like Seifer, you wouldn't still be siding him!

What /did/ he feel towards Seifer, anyway?

Platonic friendship? Or perhaps something deeper than that, or even something more?

Shock aside, why hadn't he at least shoved away Seifer for that kiss, unexpected as it was? And though it was not a kiss Cloud would like to reenact any time soon, or in fact, any time at all, why hadn't he felt repulsed? The little bit of goose bumps he'd gotten didn't exactly give him the feeling of disgust he'd expected it to come with. Before everything had started, before Leon had entered the picture, Cloud couldn't even imagine kissing someone else, much less another guy. Just the thought was enough to make him turn tail and run. Even now, even after sharing so many kisses with his boyfriend, it was still difficult to visualize himself kissing another person. Leon was different, he was in another league altogether as far as Cloud was concerned, so he allowed himself to lower his defenses for Leon.

So why couldn't he get mad at Seifer? The blond wasn't in the league Leon was. Nobody was. But to be completely honest, Cloud wasn't sure where that man belonged either.

Just why?

It was at that moment when Cloud heard the clatter of cutlery on the table, the sound exceptionally loud in the otherwise quiet room. He raised his head curiously, his fork stuck in his mouth where it had been feeding the piece of beef into earlier. Somewhere out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Yuffie drifting closer.

Eleanor was looking at him with a deep frown on her face, her arms folded on the table and her cutlery placed neatly beside her plate of food.

"Honey, did something happen? You've been so inattentive since getting home from school."

His mother had always been able to read him so well.

"…Not really."

"Is it Leon? Did you two have an argument again? Don't try to lie to me now; you two were acting so strange that night when he was over here for dinner I'd have to be blind and deaf to not pick up all the bad vibes."

While Yuffie snickered, Cloud barely suppressed the wince that was threatening to surface. He seriously hadn't thought it was so obvious, though on hind side, the almost stuck-up way he had refused Leon's help in the kitchen when the brunet offered must have been a dead giveaway. Quickly, he tried to think of an explanation.

Eleanor beat him to the punch.

"Really now honey, as cute as it can be, playing hard to get and all, it's not all that helpful in building a long term relationship with your boyfriend, you know?"

It was no surprise that Cloud dropped his fork, or that Yuffie choked on her own spit. In the record time where she'd managed to clear her throat and attempt to shake Cloud with mutters of disbelief, Cloud was still blinking with a slack jaw.

Something in his expression must have clued Eleanor into his inability to form any coherent sentences, so she added with an indignant huff, "What? Did you think I wouldn't know? If you two had wanted to keep it a secret, you certainly should have been more hush hush about it. I mean, the spectacular hickey on your neck was a major clue that my boy was dating someone, and try as Leon might, there was no way I could have missed the way he was grinning. He kinda reminded me of a wolf with his prey in sight, you know? Of course, I've had my suspicions since that day when Leon was ill and stayed over, because I saw you two cuddling on the couch when I came down to get a glass of water. And honey? Love might be blind, but our neighbours certainly aren't."

The blond gulped.

"They saw you and Leon kissing on our front porch."

Cloud thought he was going to go down into the annals of history as the first human to actually die of embarrassment. In a split-second, his mind came up with at least seven escape routes and the shortest possible ways to dig a hole, with and without a shovel, and bury himself before he could spontaneously combust. Might as well save the undertakers the trouble of digging his grave too, he thought.

Eleanor started to laugh.

"Aw, honey! Did you really, really, really think I wouldn't be able to tell? Don't worry, I'm fine with it! I may not have known Leon for long, but from what I can tell, he seems to be an awfully nice boy. Does he treat you well?"

At that, Cloud blushed hotly. His blush intensified when Eleanor looked at him expectantly and gestured for him to continue. He barely registered Yuffie's comment that he had a mother whose cool factor had already gone off the meter of the coolest mother ever.

"He's… pretty nice."

"How nice? Nice as in will prepare romantic dates and pamper you, or nice as in knows where to kiss and touch you?"

"MUM!"

Her laughter was as hearty as ever. "Promise me you'll use protection, okay?"

He sputtered for a moment before reverting to his all-purpose protest. "MUM!" It did nothing to dampen her jovial spirits. If anything, it seemed to amuse her further as she giggled like a conniving sprite.

"Oh honey, as your mother, I want you to know this. In any romantic relationship, you must always, always let your boyfriend wear the pants. Let him think he's wearing the pants, but you should always be the one controlling the zipper."

Yuffie snorted her chuckles. "Damn right she is, Cloud! Makes perfect sense too, since it means you get to be the one who decides when Leon gets laid."

Whoever thought that talking about a problem or a previously hidden relationship was cathartic was mad. At least for Cloud's case, talking about such issues only meant providing the two women in the house with the perfect ammunition, and also handing them the paint on a silver platter so they could paint the target markings on his body.

Lowering his head to hide the blush that had no doubt erupted on his face again, he stuffed his face with the beef stir-fry.

"So…"

He ate faster, hoping that his mother would take the cue and stop talking to him. His mind also started taking action, willing itself to be psychic so he could send out brainwaves and trick his mother into forgetting the conversation had ever taken place. He was sure that he was going to die if he got teased any more; at the very least, he was going to lose all feeling in his body because all his blood would surely be rushing to his face and staying there like it was a holiday resort. Again.

But Eleanor wasn't afraid of such things, for she was a nurse and she was damn good at her job. Temporary numbness was no big deal, especially not when it was due to embarrassment.

"Are you happy? With him?"

Cloud raised his head slowly, spoon still in his mouth as redness crept up his face again like a precocious child tiptoeing to peer over the window. He tried to read deeper into her question, in case she was going to suggest something atrocious like protection and was just gathering the material. He felt relief flooding into him when he saw the little crease in her brows and her lips tightening.

His hand was still holding onto his spoon when he nodded shyly. The spoon, he thought, was like the one he'd shared with Leon the other day at the ice cream parlor. Sweet, tender feelings welled up in him.

"Yeah."

He did not notice Yuffie's wide grin, looking like a self-satisfied cupid who'd done a magnificent job and was waiting for Aphrodite's praise.

He did, however, pick up on his mother's relieved sigh. Her shoulders drooped as though a tremendous weight had been lifted, and the sparkle that had been shining in her younger days reappeared in the corner of her eyes, making her seem younger than she really was.

"How long have you been going out with him?"

"A few weeks," he replied, then on a childish whim that wanted to tell his mother that her son had managed to ensnare the heart of an eligible bachelor so very thoroughly, he added, "But he's liked me for quite some time even before that. He just didn't know what to say to me."

Eleanor nodded eagerly, encouraging him.

"So, I confessed to him. Just… walked up to him in class one day, and told him… that I knew, and that I… felt the same way," his voice tapered off at the end, becoming softer and softer until it was no less inaudible than a mosquito's buzz. Apart from a nagging feeling at the back of his mind, Cloud had almost forgotten about Yuffie's possession and subsequent confession. But for all purposes and intents, it already felt like he had been the one who'd confessed to Leon.

"And we started going out after that. Leon's been… really attentive to me."

"Have you met his family yet?"

Cloud's jaw slackened a bit.

"N- No. It's a bit too early for that. And his family's almost always away. His father's always traveling around for his work, and his sister lives in the university dorms," he said uneasily, feeling like something was missing. Quickly, he continued, "But I've been to his house! Once. They live pretty far away from us." And thank god for that, he told himself. Had they lived any closer, Eleanor would surely wheedle the address out of him and pay them a very sudden visit with cookies for Leon's family and a bag of condoms for Leon. He shuddered mentally at the thought.

Eleanor smiled. "Good, good. It's good that you've found someone. I was getting a little worried about why my little Cloud was still alone when I've raised him so prettily. I was starting to think I'd done something wrong."

Yuffie guffawed. "Raised prettily? You sound like a poodle at one of those dog competitions, you know?"

Cloud prided himself on his self-control that he'd managed to not even glare at his recalcitrant friend.

Unaware of the undercurrents between her son and Yuffie, Eleanor asked, "So what's going on between you two? Lover's spat? It's not something big, is it? Or is it about the hickey that night?"

"…Maybe?" he said cautiously.

Beside him, Yuffie nodded astutely. "Right, keep your mum on that. It's not a good idea to tell her about Seifer, trust me. Knowing your mum, she'd grab her rolling pin, head to school and beat Seifer to within an inch of his life. Or maybe she won't even be patient enough to wait for school tomorrow and just go down to Seifer's house to cudgel the snot out of him right now." Upon that, they looked at each other (or in Cloud's case, snuck a glance), and promptly shivered. Years as Eleanor Strife's son and neighbour had taught them that the rolling pin was probably the least dangerous thing she could dig out in a moment's notice once her maternal instincts kicked in full power.

Thankfully, she bought the bait eagerly.

"Oh you're such a prude, Cloud!" Eleanor exclaimed teasingly, completely ignoring her son's bewildered protests. "It's just a hickey, so don't be so hard on Leon. Unless he did something else? Well, as long as you use protection, I'm sure you'll be fine. And don't forget the lubricant."

For the second time within the day, Cloud could hear the concrete walls beckoning his forehead for a nice smash. What was with all the females he knew?

* * *

Out of so many of Eleanor's colleagues, Nurse Gillian had always been the one Cloud liked best. She was gentle and sweet, and every time Cloud visited her, she'd offer him a piece of his favourite candy, pat his head and ask him kindly how his day had gone. If it had gone badly, she'd gather him into his arms and hug him, just like his mother. She always came through for Cloud, and that was one of the reasons why he liked her so much.

Another reason why Cloud adored her so was because she and Eleanor always took over each other's shifts if they couldn't make it to work, and tonight, Gillian's son couldn't have gotten the flu at a more opportune time. Cloud made a mental note to send Gillian and her son a basket of fruits as he waved goodbye to his mother, who now had to take over Gillian's graveyard shift. As much as he loved his mother, there was really a limit to how much teasing he could take.

She waved back to him, gesturing for him to get back into the house. He would have done so, except that was when a familiar-looking car suddenly pulled up on the road. Yuffie chortled and pointed out that Cloud was never meant to get a moment of peace that night as Leon stepped out of the car.

Before Cloud could respond to her (not that he knew how to except agree with her, and that was something he knew wasn't a very smart move), Eleanor positively squealed and in a few big strides, cornered Leon against his car. Instinctively, Cloud ran towards them. Yuffie was a step faster; the moment she'd seen Leon step out of his car, she'd shot out to catch the latest episode of mother-in-law versus son-in-law like it was some sitcom. She positively squealed at Eleanor's response.

"Oh Cloud, you're such a sneak! You didn't even tell your mother that someone's coming over to keep you company!" she teased good-naturedly, yelling over her shoulders. Then she turned towards Leon with a face-splitting smile. "It's good that you're here though! Well, take care of my honey for me, will you? And remember to treat him nicely," she finished with a knowing wink.

Leon blinked, then the surprise melted away to reveal a matching grin. "Of course, Eleanor. Always."

Her smile widened, if it was possible, apparently pleased by the answer, and patted him lightly on the shoulders. "Well then, see you boys tomorrow," Eleanor said, and after throwing her son, who'd just gotten to their side almost in a panic, one last meaningful gaze, she continued walking down the street to catch her bus. Cloud watched her until her silhouette disappeared into the night.

Now left in silence, Cloud turned back to look at his boyfriend warily. "What… what did mum say to you?"

"Just what a mother would say to their son's boyfriends," Leon replied simply, reaching out to take Cloud's hand and lead him into the house. "You have a wonderful mother, you know that?"

Yuffie snickered. "How true. I always did love your mum."

Cloud did not have the chance to ask her what exactly she meant by that and what his mother had said to Leon before they got inside the house and Leon closed the door behind them, making sure to lock it. Once the lock clicked, Cloud was pulled up into a tight embrace that left their bodies flushed up one another's. His breath hitched when Leon pressed a short, chaste kiss against his forehead.

"So how was your day? I'm sorry I didn't manage to drive you home today, but I didn't want you to wait until my meeting was over. The meeting was a waste of time, in my opinion; we didn't actually get much done, considering the amount of time we spent on it. And I had to go looking for one of our members, since the bastard was late for over half an hour."

It was strange, how the affectionate, gentle tone of Leon's voice was a sharp contrast to how chilly Cloud was feeling. Somehow, Cloud just knew that the missing member Leon was talking about was the same one who'd cornered him that afternoon, despite the lack of a name. Standing in Leon's loving embrace, hearing Leon's tender voice, and leaning into Leon's warm chest, the brunet was all that was stopping him from jumping away in guilt.

He extracted himself out of Leon's arms gingerly, backing away just enough so he could look at his boyfriend.

"So what made you visit?"

Leon blinked in surprise. "You didn't get my text message? I told you I was coming over tonight."

"You did? I must have forgotten…" Cloud laughed nervously. It had to be the second text message Leon had sent earlier, the same one he'd neglected to read because he didn't want to.

The memory of Seifer's kiss was still fresh in his mind.

"You forgot? Then…" the brunet breathed, lowering his lips and cupping Cloud's cheeks, "let me remind you."

Feeling Leon's warm breath tickling his face, Cloud almost closed his eyes. He loved Leon's kisses. He loved how the man always made him feel so cherished with a little peck of his lips and a little caress of his cheeks. He loved how Leon loved him so much.

So, despite acting unwilling sometimes, Cloud would never turn away from Leon's kisses.

But the memory of that stilled moment from that afternoon gushed back to him like a tidal wave at Leon's proximity. In his mind's eye, Seifer's face, those normally icy eyes had melted, that air of arrogance had faded away, and the perpetual proud smirk had been replaced by uncertainty… all that, was superimposed over Leon's features. To all of Cloud's senses and perception, the person leaning in was Seifer, the same Seifer who had kissed him just that afternoon.

Heart nearly leaping out of his throat, Cloud's hands moved quickly to shove the other away even as he jumped back.

Leon, entirely unprepared, stumbled backwards until he hit the door. When he finally realized what had happened, he looked up, eyes wide and blinking. "Cloud?"

Seeing the confusion and hurt in those eyes was what made Cloud comprehend what he'd done. "I… I'm sorry! I just… Leon, you don't just do that so suddenly!" he protested weakly, his face burning fiercely in both shame and guilt. "I…! I'm sorry!" Suddenly unable to meet Leon's eyes anymore, he turned tail and sprinted to the stairs, quickly running up, his hurried footsteps thumping loudly against the wooden staircase like the lumbered steps of a giant.

"O…oi! Cloud!" Yuffie yelled. Without sparing a look at Leon, she shot up the stairs after her friend. When she got there, Cloud was already leaning over the basin and splashing water onto his face as though a man possessed. The water splattered everywhere like an artist's wild experimentation with his tubes of paint; it ended up on the mirror, the basin, the walls, and had she been alive, her as well. She waited patiently, and it took a while for Cloud to stop and grab his towel to dry himself off.

When she was sure he wouldn't take flight again, she prodded, "So… what happened?"

He bit his bottom lip, pausing in his actions. Eyes darting out of the bathroom uneasily, and even though there was no one outside, his stance did not relax a bit as he slowly replied, "…I saw Seifer's face."

She winced. "So he scarred you this badly, huh? We have to think of some way to deal with him, seriously. At least tell him that you're not interested." Her eyes narrowed sharply. "You're not, are you?"

"Are you mad? No! Which part of 'just a friend' do you not get?"

"Well, we can talk about this later. Right now, Leon must be wondering what set you off like that so you'd better march yourself down there right now to explain to him. Just tell him… what your mum told you about using protection. If he's really as gentlemanly as we think, he'll know why you reacted that way. And if he leers, then it's time to put all that kendo I've taught you to good use."

* * *

Luckily, there was no need to pull out Yuffie's bamboo sword. Upon hearing Eleanor's playful advice, the brunet's face promptly erupted into blush so red the girl blithely suggested that maybe he'd burst a vein and needed a trip to the emergency room in the hospital. But she was forced to eat her words when Leon, after a moment's silence, mumbled that he'd remember that piece of advice.

Cloud nearly threw him out of the house for that.

With as much practice as Leon had for placating his boyfriend, however, it was not a surprise to any of them that Leon eventually ended up sleeping in Cloud's room again that night, though Cloud still insisted on making him sleep on a mattress on his bedroom floor. It almost annoyed the blond (and amused Yuffie) when Leon agreed to that contentedly, smiling that silly smile of his.

* * *

It was in the middle of the night that Cloud crawled out of his bed, after tossing and turning repeatedly when sleep refused to come. Gingerly, he sidestepped Leon, pausing for a moment to smile at the lightly snoring brunet who mumbled his name even in the depths of slumber, and got out of the room, mindful to shut the door behind him as softly as he could.

Trudging downstairs, he did not bother turning on the lights and merely slumped into the living room sofa, softly sighing.

"I knew you'd be unable to sleep tonight."

Cloud sighed again, louder this time. Without looking up, he answered, "And I knew you'd come down to meet me, Yuffie. I figured you were loitering downstairs when I didn't see your legs sticking out of my closet. Speaking of which, why do you always sleep inside my closet?"

The girl shrugged as she floated closer to the sofa, her translucent form more ethereal than usual under the moonlight that peeked in through a partially-opened curtain. She looked like something that'd walked straight out of a fairytale. "I use your pile of folded clothes for a pillow. Feels better that way, even though I can't touch them," she said.

He nodded absently. They fell into silence almost naturally, and the only sounds that permeated the night were the mating calls of crickets and the occasional sharp shrieks of cats, followed by the sound of metal trash cans tumbling over.

Yuffie studied him intently, one hand propping her chin with the other thrown carelessly across her stomach.

It took Cloud a while to clear his throat and talk about the topic they were both waiting for the other to start.

"Yuffie, do you think… Seifer's just confused?"

Yuffie's lips twisted skeptically. "Somehow, I don't think so. Seifer just looked kinda shifty this afternoon, not confused. In fact, come to think of it, he reminds me of how Leon used to look every time I told him to confess to you. You know, like how he wants to confess his feelings to the person he likes but still hasn't exactly mustered up the guts for it yet? Yeah, that's how Seifer looked like." Leon would probably take insult if he ever heard about her observations, and even Yuffie herself found it strange to compare the two rivals like this, but there was just no denying the flighty stance, the pursed lips and darting eyes that they shared in that instance. She probably would have found more similarities had Cloud not interrupted.

"So he seriously likes me, huh…?" Cloud muttered. When he noticed Yuffie staring at him with her patented blank look that was actually not so blank underneath it all, he smiled painfully. "Well, a guy can hope, right?"

She tried to hit him, rolling her eyes when she failed to even make his hair flutter. Shaking her head at the unfairness of it all, she asked, "So what are you going to do about him? You've shot down my idea of getting a body bag, so I'm out of ideas."

Cloud stared at her for a moment. Yuffie was already dead, her translucent body as good as proof had he not remembered being at the hospital and seeing her mangled body. Yet…

He closed his eyes, clenching his fists. He had already decided, hadn't he? He was going to help Yuffie move on. She was going to find a way to move on to the next world one day, and gods help him, Cloud was not going to become a burden. He was not going to drag her down anymore.

"I'm going to talk to Seifer."

Yuffie's eyes widened. "Talk?"

"I'm going to talk to Seifer, and tell him straight, that I can't accept his feelings." _I can't be indecisive anymore._

"It's not going to be easy to get through to him, you know?" she remarked tersely, her arms crossed.

Cloud nodded in acknowledgement. "_I know, but I have to do it. Seifer has the right to know, and I have to do this." I will show you, Yuffie, that I'm not a kid that needs your protection anymore._

"Well… if you're sure…"

"I am." _You can move on. You don't have to worry about me._

She smirked, nodding in return.

"Then there's only one thing left to do: corner Seifer somewhere and tell him the truth, and pray that Leon never finds out about this or someone's going to need a trip to your mum's workplace."

Cloud chuckled. "Yuffie, you never change!" He chuckled louder when the girl giggled and replied quite plainly that she was fine the way she was, to which Cloud could only agree. He could never imagine his friend as someone less cheeky and with less of a prankster's streak in her.

"Cloud?"

The abrupt calling of his name by someone that was supposed to be upstairs made Cloud's blood run cold, and he twisted around in the sofa, only to see Leon's silhouette at the bottom of the stairs, just a few steps away from the living room. Though it was dark and the lights were off, Cloud knew, somehow, that Leon was staring at him. He cursed himself inwardly. How could he have not noticed his boyfriend so close to him? Just how much had Leon heard?

Leon started towards him, and when the light peeking in from the open curtain struck upon him, Cloud could see his shock, those wide, disbelieving eyes and that slack jaw. Words were difficult to come at that sight.

"Le-Leon? Why…? When?"

In spite of his questions, Cloud secretly hoped that he was just seeing things, or that he was dreaming. Leon wasn't there, he prayed silently. But even in the dark, he thought he saw Leon shaking his head, and his throat ran dry. With each step the brunet took towards him, he felt their hearts gaining distance.

"I woke up earlier, and I didn't see you in bed, so I came looking for you. Cloud…" –Leon knitted his brows- "were you… talking to someone?"

"O-of course not! I'm the only one here! I just, I just couldn't sleep so I came downstairs." As he spoke, his heart hammered so loudly Cloud feared that it'd betrayed him. Beside him, Cloud thought he could feel Yuffie holding her breath.

And then Leon was beside them, sliding into the sofa just beside Cloud. "I thought… I thought I heard you call her name."

Cloud swallowed. "No, I was alone. I was just… talking to myself," he lied, almost shakily, unable to meet Leon's eyes. What was he supposed to tell Leon if he asked, if he really probed? He'd yet to explain his reaction to Naminé's picture, and now this! What was Leon going to think?

He'd think that Cloud was an oddball, or perhaps even insane enough to hallucinate and hear voices, but that was already the best case scenario Cloud could think of. What if Leon believed him, believed that maybe Yuffie was still around them, somehow? Bit by bit, slowly but surely, Leon would learn the truth behind Cloud's confession. He'd know that Cloud's confession had been fake, and that Cloud had never meant for it to happen. He'd know that everything they shared right now had stemmed from a lie, a farce, a possession.

…What was Leon supposed to think?

What would Leon think!?

To his surprise, he felt warm arms wrap around his body, and he was pulled up against a broad chest that he was already so familiar with. When he lifted his head, he only saw a heartbreaking love and sympathy in Leon's eyes. Suddenly, relief rushed into him.

"Leon?"

"It's alright, Cloud. It's normal that you miss her. You don't have to be afraid about missing her. We all do. Me, Riku, Aeris, Tidus… All of us miss her too. But…" –he tightened his embrace- "I'll be here for you, as you have been for me. We won't be alone. And she won't have to be, either," Leon whispered, as though if he spoke any louder, this moment in time would shatter and evaporate into non-existence. "Let's visit her tomorrow."

"Squally-Wally… you're such a sap, but you won't even say my name anymore."

Cloud heard Yuffie say, her voice trembling and choking, but he couldn't remember what his own response to Leon's soothing words was. He only remembered feeling incredibly warm and safe, and it made him sleepy. How long they spent leaning into each other on the couch, Cloud did not know. Later, the walk back upstairs and into his room were, in his mind, only a series of steps where he moved his tired feet and Leon led.

It felt like forever and an instant, the journey, and then he was back in bed, curled up against Leon. The wall was just behind him, trapping him where he was. A thought stood out inside his mind, as obvious as a splash of white against a black canvas: Leon didn't want him wandering off again. Leon was trying to protect him.

Suddenly, all his worries this afternoon and thereafter felt so insignificant. Leon was with him, after all.

He dredged up a smile, closed his eyes, and his lips moved, but he barely heard his own voice.

"Leon, why do you love me? Out of so many people in this world, why did you pick me?"

Perhaps it was his imagination, but he thought he heard Leon's voice speaking to him. It was soft and quiet and so very warm, and Cloud liked the way it made him feel.

"Because you gave me your vanilla ice cream."

Cloud never replied, for as soon as those words trailed off, he was already caught up in a deep sleep. In his dreams, he saw a younger Yuffie and a younger him running down his corridor, wearing matching jackets that Yuffie's mother had bought them. He also saw an older Seifer walking by, patting his shoulder as he did and not looking back.

But most of all, he saw an older Leon holding out a hand for him, smiling, and never letting go.

* * *

"Leon! I promise you I'll be fine! Just give me a few minutes alone with Yuffie! And then I'll call you over so you can talk to her too, okay?"

Leon looked every bit the petulant child he was acting like, a frown marring his features like it was permanently etched there and he had a downturn of his lips to go with it.

As he had promised the night before, Leon had driven them both to the graveyard where Yuffie was buried first thing in the morning, but apart from it being a gesture of letting go for Cloud, Cloud had a sinking feeling in his stomach that Leon had watched too much television drama and was going to the do the clichéd 'I'll take care of him in your place' line in front of Yuffie's grave. While it sounded nice in theory, in reality, the woman was just floating behind them.

Cloud wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep a straight face if Yuffie suddenly decided to act all maternal-like and tease Leon while the man was trying to get her to entrust her best friend to him.

"Leon. It's just going to be a few minutes. Just stay in the car, and I'll be right there," he said, pointing a little ways over at the white marble that had been styled and carved into Yuffie's tombstone. "See? You can see me from here. And I'll call you over in a bit."

It would be better for his health if he got a few minutes alone with the mischievous spirit first.

Thankfully, Leon conceded.

"Call me when you're done. I haven't visited her in a while myself."

"I'll be quick," Cloud promised, and then he was gone, making a beeline for his intended destination. He didn't check to see if Yuffie, who'd been lounging in Leon's backseat, was following, but there was no need to. In a blur of colours, the girl was already calling out for him to check out her 'cool resting place and wait, why are there flowers'. He darted over quickly.

True to her word, sitting quietly before her tombstone was a fresh bouquet of blue roses, the colours still bright and unsullied. The long white ribbon that held them together fluttered lightly when a breeze visited.

Cloud frowned. "Blue roses? Why blue roses?" he murmured, kneeling down to set down the bouquet of fresh white lilies he'd bought earlier. Juxtaposed, his bouquet didn't look any fresher than the blue roses.

"It's my favourite, blue roses," Yuffie answered nonchalantly, floating closer to the ground to appreciate the flowers better.

"Eh!? You never told me! You didn't even say anything when I got white lilies!"

She stuck out a tongue. "And you call yourself my best friend. What kind of best friends don't know their best friend's favourite flowers?" She ignored Cloud's mumbled reply of 'one who was never told', instead choosing to reach out to touch the flowers. Her fingers hovered above the petals, sometimes passing through them, but for all intents and purposes, it looked like Yuffie could just touch them.

"I wonder who left it here. There aren't many people who know my favourite flowers, especially since my best friend," she spat the last two words out vilely, glaring at him, before continuing, "doesn't know either. It can't be my parents; I just visited them two nights ago, and they're still two towns away. It's obviously not you, and since it's not my anniversary yet, it's probably not anyone from school either. As far as I know, they've already bought enough flowers to drown me during my wake."

"Since it's someone who knows your favourite flowers, just keep going down that track. You should figure out a couple names that way," Cloud suggested, straightening his back.

Yuffie averted her gaze, pouting as she did, and hummed under her breath. Several times, her eyes lit up for a second before dimming, and she was back to the drawing table. Then, she gasped and she almost jumped. Cloud was about to ask her who it was when she deflated all of a sudden, placing a curious finger on her lips.

"No… it can't be him. He's not even here anymore…"

"Yuffie?"

At the sound of her name, she turned back to Cloud, and she smiled with a shrug.

"I've no idea! But well, you know, pretty girls get all sorts of secret admirers everywhere! Maybe this came from one of them? I don't really care right now. Not like there's anything I can do about it anyway," she remarked casually. When Cloud's suspicious eyes did not go away, she pouted. "Don't worry about this. Shouldn't you worry about your precious boyfriend? I think I see him looking our way, and boy must he be cursing the lack of a pair of binoculars." She giggled.

"Very funny, Yuff," Cloud deadpanned. "I'm going over to call him over. You just stay here."

As Leon got out of his car eagerly to meet Cloud halfway, Yuffie turned back to the blue roses.

_"You know what my favourite flower is? It's blue roses. /Blue/ roses. It has to be blue."_

_"Why blue?"_

_"Because the other colours are yucky!"_

_"Really? I thought most girls liked red roses."_

_"Red roses are for normal girls. Special ones like me deserve blue roses."_

_"…"_

_"Come to think of it, there's a flower shop around the corner. Get me a blue rose bouquet, will you?"_

_"What's the occasion?"_

_"Because I feel like receiving blue roses today! Do girls like me need a special occasion to get flowers?"_

_"…I don't know what to do with you, Yuffie."_

_"Love me! What else? Ha ha ha!"_

Yuffie shook her head almost violently, hoping to clear those memories. It had been so many years before, when he'd still been living in Radiant Garden. But he'd left so long ago, and as much as she'd wanted, they never managed to keep in touch.

Did he still remember her? Did he still remember the way she always tried to cling onto him and tease him and ask him to love her, before laughing loudly and brushing it off as a joke when he did not reply? Did he still remember her favourite flowers, the ones she'd suddenly decided on when she was walking down the street with him?

She felt her heart sink.

-tbc-

**Teaser for next chapter: **In which Cloud visits again, Leon shares a childhood memory of a friend he'd once made and vanilla ice cream, Laguna and Ellone teases the couple, Seifer doesn't give up, and Yuffie tags along for the ride.

**A/N: **This chapter was really difficult to write. While writing the first draft, I got so unhappy with it that I stopped writing the fic for a few months because I couldn't get everything to flow, and RL was making a lot of demands on my time too. So basically that was 6000 plus words scrapped, and I rewrote most of it. I'm still not completely satisfied with this draft, but I'd have to revise the entire fic if I want to make this chapter better.

If you couldn't tell what was giving me problems, it's Seifer. Or more appropriately, the situation with Seifer and Cloud. I do have it all planned out, so now I'm just figuring out how to get from point A to point C. Point B is where you guys come in. Tell me what you think probably should happen or might happen! What do you think about the relationship between Seifer and Cloud? How serious is Seifer? Possible reactions from Leon, if he finds out? Carnage will be accepted. XDDD

Whether you have any words to say about the situation with Seifer or not, please remember to comment and review if you've enjoyed this chappie! XD

On the topic of reviews, if you're the 900th reviewer, please PM me and I'll write you a drabble of your choice. If you're the 1000th reviewer, please also PM me and I'll write you a one-shot. XD This is to thank you for your support! I'll be looking forward to seeing your PMs!

P.S. I recently posted a new Zack/Cloud fic and a Lavi/Kanda (DGM) fic, so if you're fans of those pairings/series, please do read and review too! Thanx!


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